David Miliband: Europe and US need ‘separate bedrooms’ but not divorce
Former Labour minister says complete disengagement has potential ‘for us to end up in a very, very difficult position’
TL;DR
- David Miliband proposes Europe seek "separate bedrooms" from the US, not a "divorce," to maintain a strategic alliance while gaining autonomy.
- He stresses the importance of Europe developing "agency" in economic and military matters, including in areas like AI and defense procurement.
- Miliband highlights climate change as an area where Europe cannot afford to be held back by US policy reversals, pointing to economic and environmental interests.
- The former foreign secretary suggests that generating wealth and distributing it fairly is essential for Europe to overcome its political and military weaknesses.
- Philippe Sands commented that the UK-US relationship is "one-way" and that Britain's "primary connection" should be with Europe.
- Misha Glenny noted that Brexit has shown EU member states the catastrophic economic impact of disengaging from regulatory alignment.
- Miliband believes that addressing the consequences of Brexit is not about betraying Leave voters but about avoiding further harm to the UK's security and prosperity.
- He observed that the war in Iran has caused a greater "break in the international system" and damaged US-Europe relations more than the Iraq war.