The USA and Europe as global players in the twenty-first century

The full extent of the world-wide changes taking place since the end of the Cold War is only gradually becoming clear. The most important fact internationally is that there is now only one world power, the USA, since Russia, the principal successor state to the collapsed USSR, has fallen into a state of great weakness and grave crisis because of the economic burden inherited from socialism. At the same time problems and crises are emerging in many regions which even a powerful USA cannot cope with on its own. Margarita Mathiopoulos, Senior Advisor European and North American Markets, British Aerospace pie and Professor of American Foreign. Policy and International Politics at the University of Braunschweig, explains in the following article why the present situation justifies without question the continuation of NATO even if its original responsibility - to defend its member states against military threat and to deter potential enemies from aggression - is now hardly relevant. Apart from maintaining the American-European alliance forged during the Post-war period and still important for both sides, it is now principally a. matter of the allies working together to resolve global issues. This prospect - which Europe still seems sometimes distinctly cool towards - is suited not only to reviving the transatlantic relationship in the light of altered circumstances and giving an important new role to NATO, but also to moving towards a resolution of global political issues that might otherwise escalate dangerously The author analyses all the aspects involved and argues forcefully and with concrete proposals that the new responsibilities should be taken on. This would also give the nations of Europe a great opportunity to grow closer and strengthen their position.