How can Europe defend itself without the United States?

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  Hi, I'm Johnny diamond and from the BBC World Service, this is the global story.

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  Overpaid, over sexed.

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  And over here,

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  that was the joke made about American troops stationed in Britain in the Second World War.

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  Those troops may have been in place to fight Nazi Germany,

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  but they were the forerunner of a security umbrella

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  that the US would put in place over Europe to protect the continent from the Soviet Union.

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  The alliance that emerged, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation,

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  NATO has lasted almost eight decades, binding the US to Europe.

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  American troops,

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  American bases and American nuclear weapons provided a security guarantee

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  and an attack on one nation would be an attack on all.

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  But that was a different time.

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  America has grown tired of paying Europe's defense bill.

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  It has different priorities and it's told its one time allies that they need to step up.

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  Today we're asking how can Europe defend itself?

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  With me today is our diplomatic correspondent, James Landale.

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  Hi, James.

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  Hey Johnny.

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  Good to be here.

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