beyondukraine.euandrussiainsearchofanewrelation

108 Beyond Ukraine. EU and Russia in Search of a New Relation
contributions from Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway 35 .
Considerable work remains to fill the collective gaps so that the
United States could facilitate European-only operations in the
future. There was a new urgency to this rebalancing brought on by
the Ukraine crisis because if the United States had to rush forces
towards a much more strategically significant challenge in Asia,
and Europe was unable to stand alone, a greater crisis might ensue.
Conclusion. Towards a new transatlantic architecture
Rather than force a rethink of major strategic priorities, like the
Asia pivot, the United States has responded effectively to the
Russia crisis by not playing into Moscow’s narrative and putting
capable allies in the diplomatic, economic, and military lead. The
United States has coordinated transatlantic consensus to apply
painful political and economic costs on Russia without putting at
risk cooperation on areas of mutual interest. It has creatively
backed Germany and France as they took diplomatic leads in
negotiating a significant cease-fire in Ukraine in early 2015.
Working with its allies, it has developed within NATO an
European-led spearhead response force, while also offering
symbolic rotational exercises to demonstrate its commitment to
reassure allies nearest to Russia. It has also worked to anchor the
vital transatlantic relationship with Europe by investing in ongoing
negotiations over a U.S.-EU trade deal. The United States has
done this while sustaining its pivot towards Asia. Looking ahead,
the United States and its allies will likely need to make a tough
choice to revoke their promise of Ukrainian membership in NATO
as there is not likely any solution to the crisis that includes that
outcome. Additionally, the United States and its European allies
must now make a direct and sustained commitment to work
together to better consolidate and pool European capabilities.
America’s European allies can provide the main tripwire forces for
35 See S. Fidler, “NATO Struggles to Muster ‘Spearhead’ Force to Counter Russia”,
Wall Street Journal, 1 December 2014.