You are totally free to find any justification for better understanding what has come down as “wishing for the separation of the U.S. from Europe”. Although this is a quite dreamy wish, the preliminary assessments show that this is not bound only to mere freedom. Any explanation should be founded on realities. This is a philosophical and historical challenge between hard facts and optimal wishes which the pragmatic politics of the 20th century has not been able to overcome.

Thus, I don’t know whether Brexit was firstly a bland British joke that turned serious, or was it a serious matter in the European body politics that burgeoned in Britain. Whatever it was, it turned the green continent into a ball of fire.

The British democracy has now turned against its primal logic of the priority of the will of the majority on the insistence of the minority. The British pull the rug from under the feet of the European allies and now are waiting for others to pay for it. It was for this that Merkel crossly said that Britain cannot only pick the best items in the menu. Or the European Commission chairman who lashes the British and wants them either to confess to their mistake or go quickly and pay for the Hyde Park stupidity.

It is hard to imagine the effect of the Brexit. It can be said that the event can lead to a big mistake against those who think a bloody domestic war broke out on June 23. With a conservative outlook, it should be said that any revolutionary understanding of the event that includes the prospect of using a stand-off against the EU can lead to a dire mistake.

The undeniable truth is that basic relations between Europe and the U.S. lie on three maxims of comprehensive security, overall political backing, and unified defense against common threats. These three facts provide the basis for the formation of NATO as well as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The EU at best is a third phenomenon in that category.

European capitals may like to adopt a more independent path among themselves and in relation to Washington, but they are hampered by security and political constraints.

There is some finesse in the inclination to go on one’s way and stay in the united Western group, which is the key to understanding the internal relation between Europe and the U.S. Forgetting this basic fact will lead to problematic interpretations of what will come out of any disagreement between London, the EU, and the U.S.

Whatever it may bring, the Brexit will not impact the EU-Britain-U.S. relations in a way to affect their most fundamental interests. On Monday it was announced that Theresa May will replace David Cameron as prime minister. She talks well but does not seem to act so. I doubt if this will resolve the crisis.

SP/PA