Editorial

Europe will be holding its breath when the US elections take place in a few weeks. After all, whoever becomes the new president will also influence the future of transatlantic relations. But what happens if the US turns its back on Europe? What impact would this have on security and defence policy, trade relations, and, last but not least, support for Ukraine? We asked renowned experts, current and former politicians, and intellectuals on both continents for their perspectives. Wolfgang Ischinger, former president of the Munich Security Conference, advises not to let the excitement of the election campaign prevent us from working together on solutions to a “triple strategic challenge.” At the same time, experts such as Majda Ruge emphasise that Europeans must step out of their “comfort zone of transatlantic dependency,” regardless of who occupies the White House. From a US perspective, this shift has long been necessary, as Nile Gardiner writes. He argues that increased European financial contributions to NATO are inevitable.