ABSTRACT
The European Union (EU) is an expanding and expansionary power with the allure of the world's largest market and values that inform universal standards on a wide range of issues. The EU represents a powerful united voice on trade and other economic issues. While Europeans exploit the possibilities of diplomatic instruments, many in the United States have become disillusioned with diplomacy. The unilateralism that Washington favors not only devalues diplomacy it also devalues multilateralism. If unilateralism is an option, especially if it is the preferred option, a country need not concern itself with relationship building. Europeans, acting multilaterally, benefit from the relationships the author establishes. The US–led action in Afghanistan, beginning in 2001, that carried the full support of Europeans, also deemed legitimate, as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United Nation Security Council supported NATO efforts. European security goes beyond traditional defense by arguing that security threats can be traced to causal sources.
