Viewpoint: Changing times

Back and gone again? In some ways I can understand the U.S. For years it has been spending heavily on its military while other allied nations rather sat back, spending less and less, content for the U.S. to keep the peace..

This whole issue came to a head during Donald Trump´s presidency when he slammed European nations for spending far too little on their defence. It must be remembered that the U.S. still has many thousands of troops based in Europe, two decades after the end of the Cold war.

The U.S. is said to be refocusing on the Asia-Pacific area to try and contain Chinese influence. The United States will be missed as the policeman of the world. I think Europe should also start playing a bigger role through NATO. Britain has sent a carrier task force to the Pacific but the UK only has a limited military.

What happened in Afghanistan over the last few weeks could be seen by some as a retreat from the world by the U.S. It could be seen as a watershed moment for the U.S. but who will take their place?