With British politics in chaos, the country’s leaders stalled for time Monday to get their own house in order before triggering negotiations to leave the European Union, a point from which there will be no turning back. But pressure was coming on various fronts. – Washington Post
For centuries, this modest little island in the North Sea has punched well above its weight on the international stage…But now that Britain has stunned the world with its decision to exit the European Union, experts say it will be focused inward for the foreseeable future. – Washington Post
Britain’s historic vote to leave the European Union is already threatening to unravel a democratic bloc of nations that has coexisted peacefully together for decades. But it is also generating uncertainty about an even bigger issue: Is the post-1945 order imposed on the world by the United States and its allies unraveling, too? – New York Times
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and British Defense Minister Michael Fallon discussed the potential national security fallout from the United Kingdom’s vote to separate from the European Union, hours after the polls closed in the nonbinding referendum. – Washington Times
Reeling from Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, politicians here are already suggesting another attempt at breaking away from the rest of the U.K. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Britain plunged into the unknown last night when voters opted to take the country out of the European Union, leaving analysts and officials to wonder what the decision means for the defense sector. – Defense News
Britain’s decision to break with the European Union could pose unintended security problems for NATO, including the alliance’s nuclear posture, if pro-EU Scotland launches a new push for independence. – Stars and Stripes
As one special relationship falters, another may beckon. The British vote to leave the EU could hasten a changing of the guard among Washington’s European allies, with Germany replacing the UK as its most important partner. – Financial Times
The Scots do not think there should be a second independence referendum, a poll showed on Sunday, days after Britain voted to leave the European Union despite strong Scottish support for remaining a member of the bloc. - Reuters
ICYMI: FPI strongly believes in the “Special Relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as the transatlantic alliance between America and Europe. FPI believes that the following resources will make clear how the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe can reinvigorate relations and cooperate on security, trade, and a shared liberal democratic vision of international affairs. – Foreign Policy Initiative
Editorial: The Brexit vote has produced a weekend of handwringing, especially from progressives who find democratic uprisings too messy for their tastes. But now that it has happened, the goal should be to seize this moment for reform and rejuvenation. The U.S. can help by reasserting the commitment to Europe it has too often abandoned during the last eight years. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Editorial: The sooner Britain can renegotiate deals with major partners outside Europe, the likelier EU leaders will be to do the same, rather than try to punish Brits for choosing divorce. The most important partner in this regard is the U.S., which should signal immediately that President Obama won’t follow through on his threat to send Britain to the “back of the queue” on trade. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Editorial: If the Labour Party now ousts Mr. Corbyn, it will be a sign that voters have realized that a return of sovereignty to London from Brussels will require more than nostalgic, anti-Western socialism. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Editorial: We’ll know in time whether the British made the right choice with their decision Thursday. But they were well served by the Prime Minister who made that vote possible. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Toby Young writes: So can Boris do it? I think he can. He was a contemporary of mine at Oxford and I echo the sentiments of another contemporary, journalist Lloyd Evans, who told Mr. Johnson’s biographer: “He’s a war leader. He is one of the two or three most extraordinary people I’ve ever met. You just feel he’s going somewhere. People just love him. They go along with him and they enjoy being led.” – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Elliott Abrams writes: [Britons] invented modern democracy and representative institutions. Their nationalism never caused a world war; instead, it fueled the effort to save freedom in Europe. They’ve just reminded their political elites that they love their country and their institutions, not Brussels. They fought and died for England, so why be ruled by Brussels? It’s a lesson about love of country and culture that American elites should absorb, and fast. – National Review Online