When crises erupt, should the U.S. turn first to its European partners?

An interesting debate arose during a panel discussion this morning with current and former heads of policy planning at the State Department. When a member of the audience asked why the panelists hadn’t mentioned Europe and Latin America — two regions that are vital to U.S. interests and full of U.S. allies — Jim Steinberg, ...

An interesting debate arose during a panel discussion this morning with current and former heads of policy planning at the State Department. When a member of the audience asked why the panelists hadn't mentioned Europe and Latin America -- two regions that are vital to U.S. interests and full of U.S. allies -- Jim Steinberg, a former deputy secretary of state under President Barack Obama, noted that Europe is, in many ways, the "dog that didn't bark."

An interesting debate arose during a panel discussion this morning with current and former heads of policy planning at the State Department. When a member of the audience asked why the panelists hadn’t mentioned Europe and Latin America — two regions that are vital to U.S. interests and full of U.S. allies — Jim Steinberg, a former deputy secretary of state under President Barack Obama, noted that Europe is, in many ways, the "dog that didn’t bark."

Day to day, he explained, U.S. diplomats are working closely with their European counterparts on all aspects of foreign policy — not just those that involve Europe. They’re our "preferred partner in almost every case," he noted.

Morton Halperin, a former director of policy planning under Bill Clinton, questioned that approach, however. America’s reliance on its European allies, he observed, underestimates the importance of other global powers. "Should we not start with Turkey and Indonesia and India rather than with the United Kingdom and France, or at least [start with] both?" he asked.

During the discussion, Steinberg added that America’s relationship with Mexico is "our most consequential bilateral relationship in many ways." "We need Mexico to succeed," he added. "It’s just as important as China succeeding."

Mexico’s President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto visited Washington, D.C. earlier this week, and he seems to agree. "It is a mistake to limit our bilateral relationship to drugs and security concerns," he wrote ahead of his meeting with Obama. "Our mutual interests are too vast and complex to be restricted in this short-sighted way."

Uri Friedman is deputy managing editor at Foreign Policy. Before joining FP, he reported for the Christian Science Monitor, worked on corporate strategy for Atlantic Media, helped launch the Atlantic Wire, and covered international affairs for the site. A proud native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he studied European history at the University of Pennsylvania and has lived in Barcelona, Spain and Geneva, Switzerland. Twitter: @UriLF

More from Foreign Policy

A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.
A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.

No, the World Is Not Multipolar

The idea of emerging power centers is popular but wrong—and could lead to serious policy mistakes.

A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.
A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.

America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want

Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.

The Chinese flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 4, 2022.
The Chinese flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 4, 2022.

America Can’t Stop China’s Rise

And it should stop trying.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on prior a meeting with European Union leaders in Mariinsky Palace, in Kyiv, on June 16, 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on prior a meeting with European Union leaders in Mariinsky Palace, in Kyiv, on June 16, 2022.

The Morality of Ukraine’s War Is Very Murky

The ethical calculations are less clear than you might think.