Member of the Atlantic Council’s Board of Directors R. Nicholas Burns writes for the Boston Globe on the prospect of a weakened and increasingly disengaged United Kingdom in global politics.

For 70 years since the end of the Second World War, the United Kingdom has been America’s strongest, most trusted, and most dependable ally. How long that will be the case is now in question as an inward looking, weaker, and less self-confident Britain approaches a potentially transformative election on May 7.

On a visit to London last week, I was struck by the number of influential Brits who worry openly about their country’s ability to confront challenges that, if unmet, may well propel the disengagement and gradual decline of a country that has played a central role in global affairs since the 18th century.

The most visible aspect of Britain’s malaise is the deterioration of its once world-class military.


Read full article here.