European Union is, almost by definition, subject to strain and tension. During the Cold War some stability was maintained by the common external threat that bound the NATO allies together under US leadership.
Russia is a European country, though a very peculiar one. Russia is also in deep crisis. But the situation in Russia is never as bad or as good as it seems.
Is the transatlantic relationship an unhealthy dependency, a Cold War relic? That's the view of a growing number of people on both sides of the Atlantic who are increasingly questioning the relevance of the special link between Europe and America.
