Uncle Sam has to let the European eaglets fly from the nest, a conversation with Stephen Wertheim

There is no better time than now for the United States to start shifting responsibility for European security to where it belongs: Europe. While European states don't necessarily disagree, there's a lot of trepidation for change, given the war in Ukraine, the predominance of U.S. weapons and leadership, and the long-unused European defense muscle. But one thing is certain, the U.S. can't necessarily keep its focus on Europe while saber-rattling for conflict with China.

To talk about these dynamics and more, Stephen Wertheim, a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace scholar, joins us this week. He explains why the major European powers have the wherewithal to do it, they just have to muster the will — and Washington has to be marshaled to let go, too.

In the first segment, Kelley and Dan talk about Israel's latest moves to finally annex the West Bank for good.

More from Stephen Wertheim:

Joining NATO won’t keep the peace in Ukraine, New York Times, 6/16/23

 Europe Must Step up, Foreign Affairs, with Emma Ashford, Joshua Shifrinson, 5/22/23

 Iraq and the Pathologies of Primacy: The Flawed Logic That Produced the War Is Alive and Well, Foreign Affairs, 3/17/23

 WWII Begins with Forgetting, New York Times, 12/22/22

 Tomorrow the World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy, Harvard University Press, 2020. 

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