U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will head to Brussels and London Monday for consultations on the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union as the U.S. tries to contain the fallout from the surprise vote. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
American officials struggling to reimagine their strategy after Britain’s decision to divorce the European Union say the most urgent challenge will be to find a way to replace their most reliable, sympathetic partner in the hallways of European capitals. It will not be easy. – New York Times
Britain’s decision to leave the European Union could make it more difficult to maintain transatlantic agreement on sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, and distract Britain and the E.U. from other pressing foreign policy issues as they disentangle their ties, analysts said Friday. – Washington Post
Britain’s historic vote to leave the European Union plunges the 28-nation bloc into an existential crisis, dealing the dream of an integrated Europe its greatest blow since the march toward unity began in the aftermath of World War II. – Washington Post
The vote in Britain to leave the European Union lays bare the most dangerous obstacle confronting the world’s most ambitious economic and political bloc: the voice of the European people. – Washington Post
As the European Union absorbs the U.K.’s decision to leave the bloc, some member states are already gearing up for a contest they had hoped to avoid: luring two EU agencies that will have to leave their London headquarters. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Britain will face a determined and defensive eastern Europe in negotiations to exit the EU, as countries such as Poland and Slovakia prepare to dig in over the rights of European migrants in the UK. – Financial Times
Europe’s first security strategy in more than a decade is to push for closer EU defence co-operation, paving the way for multinational headquarters, military procurement and deployments to help cope with “times of existential crisis”. – Financial Times
Ivo Daalder writes: Europe needs to maintain open borders internally, and retain a single market for economic activity — even with the UK no longer a formal member of the EU. Nato needs to be strengthened to address growing threats from the East and South. The European project must continue to evolve. And America must once again stand at the centre of Europe to help make all this possible. This is indeed a defining moment for Europe — and for America. – Financial Times
Guy Verhofstadt writes: We should not be held back by the past and we must start building a strong European defense force and a united foreign policy. One that the United States can rely on instead of one that needs a chaperone. It does not lie in our European nature to see opportunities in a crisis, but that is exactly what we should be doing now. – Los Angeles Times