Atlantic Relations - Obama Presidency Oral History

The first of those challenges was the Global Financial Crisis and the subsequent European debt crisis—or Eurozone crisis—which began late in 2009 due to balance-of-payments crises concentrated in Southern European states. The debt crisis strongly tested the European financial system over the ensuing half decade. The collection contains memories of U.S. officials regarding the risks posed by the Eurozone Crisis, as well as the U.S. role in the response, which included bailout programs from the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank, and aggressive financial operations to stabilize the continent’s banking system. Bailout loans were typically accompanied by conditions that required harsh cuts to government spending by debtor states. These austerity measures elicited a strong backlash from young and economically marginalized actors, who engaged in a series of dramatic protests that lasted for much of the remainder of Obama’s presidency. 

Partnership between the United States and European states on defense and security issues also deepened during Obama’s presidency, building on the ongoing role played by NATO forces in the U.S.-led War in Afghanistan, NATO’s first mission beyond the European continent. Narrators recall U.S.-European efforts to coordinate leadership of the intervention in the Libyan conflict that started during the Arab Spring. Following the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 1973 on March 17th 2011, U.S., French, and British forces enforced the no-fly zone and arms embargo on Muammar Qaddafi’s Libya, before NATO assumed command of what became known as Operation Unified Protector. Narrators also emphasize the role of the European Union and member states in nuclear nonproliferation efforts, especially the role of EU officials in the negotiations that led to the Iran Nuclear Deal in 2015. 

Beyond Europe’s place in the Obama Administration’s vision for multilateral diplomacy, a series of developments in the second half of Obama’s presidency challenged European unity and made transatlantic relations a priority for the Administration. Chief among these was the dramatic increase in migrants and refugees arriving in Europe due, primarily, to conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa after the Arab Spring. The refugee crisis peaked in 2015 when Europe saw more than 1 million people seek asylum on the continent, the greatest number since World War II. Narrators recall the Obama Administration’s efforts to promote coordination with and among European countries to accept and resettle larger numbers of migrants, while witnessing a growing tide of anti-immigrant sentiment and the resurgence of far-Right populism in European countries. This climate of fear intensified following the rise of the Islamic State and a series of high-profile terror attacks that took place in Europe after 2014. These attacks, along with the role of European states in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, are discussed in the topic essay on Counterterrorism.

A second challenge to European unity resulted from Russia’s territorial ambitions for Ukraine, which culminated in the 2014 invasion and annexation of Crimea. In the years prior to the invasion, Russia had sought keep Ukraine in its sphere of influence, primarily through oil and gas supplies and links with Russian-speaking populations in Eastern Ukraine, while NATO and the European Union had also taken steps to eventually welcome Ukraine as a member. In 2013, after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych abandoned a 2008 EU Association Agreement with plans to instead join the Russia Eurasian Economic Union, protesters occupied Kiev’s Independence Square (“Maidan”), facing brutal repression from Yanukovych’s security forces. Amidst swelling opposition, Yanukovych fled the country on February 25, 2014 in what became known as the Euromaidan Revolution. Concurrently, however, Russian paramilitary forces infiltrated Eastern Ukraine and claimed the Crimean Peninsula. Obama Administration narrators recall this dramatic period in 2014, which served as a precursor to Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Topics discussed include the Administration’s response to the Maidan protests and support for Ukraine, dynamics between the European Union and the United States in responding to events, and the role of NATO in the Administration’s long-term thinking about European security. Additional reflections on the response to the invasion as it relates to the Administration’s bilateral relations with Russia can be found in the U.S.-Russia topic essay. 

The shocking results of a June 23, 2016 UK referendum, in which 52% of voters cast votes to leave the European Union—a so-called “Brexit” vote—reinforced the extent to which the institutions of European multilateralism championed by Obama were under duress. Prior to the referendum, Obama had warned about the effects of such a step on transatlantic relations, noting during an April visit to London that leaving the EU would send Britain “to the back of the queue” when it came to trade deals with the United States. Narrators recall the rising tide of economic nationalism signaled by the Brexit vote—which came in conjunction with stalled negotiations for U.S.-European Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Treaty (T-TIP)—along with surging nativism in Europe indicated by the referendum's result.

Although global events had threatened the steady partnership with Europe envisioned by Obama in 2008, the importance of transatlantic ties remained evident through the final days of Obama’s presidency. Obama delivered his first international speech following the election of Donald Trump—who as candidate had threatened to withdraw the United States from NATO—in Athens, the site of intense protests and anti-EU sentiment during the Eurozone Crisis. While acknowledging that economic inequality and feelings of alienation posed significant threats to the future of globalization, Obama invoked the shared task of delivering on democratic ideals: “Governing institutions,” Obama told the crowd, “whether in Athens, Brussels, London, Washington, have to be responsive to the concerns of citizens.  People have to know that they're being heard.” He continued: “And today more than ever, the world needs a Europe that is strong and prosperous and democratic.”