Following the results of the 2020 presidential elections in the United States, experts are wondering what the landscape of transatlantic security will look like under President-Elect Joe Biden. On 17 November 2020, VCDNP Research Associate Noah Mayhew participated in a virtual panel discussion on this topic hosted by the War Studies Society at King’s College London. Joining Mr. Mayhew as co-panellists were Dr. Ana Alecsandru (Chatham House) and Ms. Marion Messmer (BASIC).
In his remarks, Mr. Mayhew gave an analysis of the current situation in US-Russian, NATO-Russian and US-NATO relations, including a historical overview of how these relations have gotten to where they are today. He expressed the view that most approaches to US foreign policy vis-à-vis Russia are locked in the mentality of the 1990s when Russia was a very different country than it is today. In this regard, Mr. Mayhew advocated for an update in how US government leaders think about US-Russian policy.
On the future of relations, Mr. Mayhew expects that a Biden administration will likely return to Obama-era approaches in Russia policy, including in arms control and non-proliferation. While he noted that US-Russian arms control will likely benefit from this shift in policy, he expressed concern about the future of US-Russian relations in other areas.
Mr. Mayhew’s full remarks, as well as those of Dr. Alecsandru and Ms. Messmer, are available below.
