The United Kingdom and Japan are the United States’ two most important allies, the anchors of U.S. defense strategy in Europe and Asia. Today, however, both are sinking deeper into recession, suffering rising public distrust of their political systems, and facing limits on the resources they can devote to their armed forces. With the geopolitical challenge of China in the East and the reemergence of Russia in the West comes uncertainty about the United States’ key alliance relationships and security strategies. Political rhetoric praising the alliances cannot mask the possibility that London and Tokyo may be increasingly unable to play the type of international role Washington desires.

AEI’s Paul Wolfowitz will moderate a discussion with the Institute’s Michael Auslin and Ted R. Bromund of the Heritage Foundation about the future of the U.S.-U.K. and the U.S.-Japanese relationships, discussing the coherence of their regional and global strategies and considering challenges to the United States posed by the decline of its closest allies.