The United States and Central Eastern Europe: How to Cope with Current Threats Together?

Central Eastern Europe (CEE) is an important region on the continent that constantly needs to confront several difficulties. Rising social tensions and international conflicts pose a threat to the inner peace of the countries in the CEE region. Daniel Fried, Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and Former US Ambassador to Poland, addressed these essential issues in an interview with Jan Macháček, Chairman of the Board of the Institute for Politics and Society.

The Biden administration is considered to have a pro-European approach in general, and the President particularly knows the Central European region, Mr. Fried noted. President Biden and the current State Secretary Antony Blinken played a vital role in the NATO enlargement in the 1990s, in which the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland joined the organization. One of the common features that tie together the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations is the continuous support for Central Europe. According to Mr. Fried, the Biden administration aims to work with the European governments and pro-Western forces.

Currently, Central Europe is experiencing serious threats from Russia. Mr. Fried expressed his solidarity with the Czech Republic regarding the Vrbětice incident. He highlighted that President Biden has a sustainable policy towards Russia: He resists the aggression coming from the Kremlin but, at the same time, aims to stabilize the US-Russian relationship. Additionally, Mr. Fried emphasized that launching a military attack against NATO countries means an act of war.

The United States and Europe need to work together to bring the world’s democracies closer and deal with the global authoritarians’ challenges, Mr. Fried stated. A common American-European approach to Russia is needed to support Ukrainian transformation, sovereignty, and joint actions to deal with the rising Chinese influence. The transatlantic cooperation should also cover sustainability and green energy since the world is more open to tackling climate change than it was twenty years ago.