Washington reiterates the UK and the EU will remain indispensable partners of the United States

The Obama White House released this brief statement early Friday: “The people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and we respect their decision. The special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is enduring, and the United Kingdom’s membership in NATO remains a vital cornerstone of U.S. foreign, security, and economic policy. So too is our relationship with the European Union, which has done so much to support stability, stimulate economic growth, and foster the spread of democratic values across the continent and beyond. The United Kingdom and the European Union will remain indispensable partners of the United States even as they begin negotiating their ongoing relationship to ensure continued stability, security and prosperity for Europe, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the world. ‘’
Hillary Clinton’s campaign noted Friday: “We respect the choice the people of the United Kingdom have made.”
Of course Donald Trump grabbed the headlines first with his Friday morning arrival in Scotland, proclaiming a kind of victory, stating “Basically they took back their country” and noting “I said this was going to happen, and I think it’s a great thing.” He did not miss the occasion to note a “big parallel” between what was happening in Europe and the rise of anti-establishment populism in the U.S. Trump also took the opportunity to slam President Obama for supporting the “Bremain” camp suggesting, as others have, that Obama’s intervention in the debate may have had the opposite effect. Enough said.
Americans with experience in global affairs realize the world will keep turning despite the EU’s and Washington’s urgent need to manage immediate short-term shocks. That doesn’t mean key thinkers and institutions haven’t thoroughly assessed what the long-term implications of the Brexit decision will be. One Washington-based political risk executive we reached early Friday, John Sitilides, told New Europe “The real geopolitical threat involves the future of the Scotland secession movement and the possible break up of nation states such as Spain (Catalonia and the Basque territory), Belgium (Flanders) and even Germany (Bavaria). ‘’