The Troubling Impact of COVID-19 on Transatlantic Relations

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In The Media

The Troubling Impact of COVID-19 on Transatlantic Relations

Having already deteriorated significantly since President Donald Trump assumed office in 2017, the transatlantic relationship is now at risk of being further weakened during the coronavirus.

By Erik Brattberg

Published on May 20, 2020

Source: Confrontations Europe

The Covid-19 pandemic is challenging international cooperation. This is notably the case of the already damaged relationship between the EU and the United States, since Donald Trump halted travels from Europe to US on March 11. Is the coronavirus crisis going to durably dash an already overstretched transatlantic link ? Read senior analyst Erik Brattberg’s insights.

Having already deteriorated significantly since President Donald Trump assumed office in 2017, the transatlantic relationship is now at risk of being further weakened during the coronavirus. Rather than serving as an impetus to restore the battered relationship between Washington and European capitals, the presence of the global pandemic is accelerating already existing negative transa-tlantic trends. If Trump is reelected in November, he will likely continue to double down on his “America First” foreign policy, skepticism of multilateralism, and trade protectionism, giving rise to further European disaffection with his administration’s leadership.

Read Full Text

This article was originally published in Confrontations Europe.

About the Author

Erik Brattberg

Former Director, Europe Program, Fellow

Erik Brattberg was director of the Europe Program and a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. He is an expert on European politics and security and transatlantic relations.

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Foreign Policy North America United States Western Europe

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