The promise and perils of improving transatlantic relations

REALPOLITIK is back in fashion these days when "great powers competition" has become the focus of discussion in foreign policy circles in Washington and elsewhere.

But even if you embrace a realistic foreign policy perspective, you would still have to make a distinction between nations and governments that are seen as part of the US strategic circle and whose ties to America reflect a history of common culture and values, and those who happen to share some interests with the US at a certain point of time.

Hence, it may not be surprising that the governments who share with the US membership in an exclusive club committed to joint cooperation in signals intelligence, the Five Eyes group (FVEY), represents liberal-democratic English-speaking nations that had fought together in the two world wars, as well as in the Cold War, in the 20th century.