President Obama: UK will continue role as major security power within Europe

Despite voting to leave the EU, President Barack Obama has said he expects the UK to remain a major contributor to European security and that it will be able to agree an "orderly transition" with the EU.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36744187

But we're still headed for the apocalypse and the UK is going to fall to pieces, right?

Reply 1

username1022139

20

Original post by TheTechN1304

Despite voting to leave the EU, President Barack Obama has said he expects the UK to remain a major contributor to European security and that it will be able to agree an "orderly transition" with the EU.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36744187

But we're still headed for the apocalypse and the UK is going to fall to pieces, right?

No. No. No. The UK is heading for economic Armageddon, mass civil violence, political anarchy and a full-on apocalypse... but here's the worse thing, you've ruined my travel arrangements and now I can't go to Europe without a visa.

Reply 2

KingBradly

1

Original post by jake4198

No. No. No. The UK is heading for economic Armageddon, mass civil violence, political anarchy and a full-on apocalypse... but here's the worse thing, you've ruined my travel arrangements and now I can't go to Europe without a visa.

I know you're being sarcastic, but to everyone reading this, the idea that Brits won't be able to travel to Europe without a Visa is a pretty stupid. There are plenty of countries around the world which you don't need a visa to visit. I don't see why European countries would be any different.

Reply 3

MagicNMedicine

20

Well he's just stating the obvious there.

The UK has the strongest military in Western Europe and is an important part of NATO.

There's also an implication behind what he says there. He knows the UK is soon to vote on Trident replacement, and he has probably heard a lot of talk recently from Leavers saying the UK should be "like Switzerland", and he's just heard Tony Blair get criticised for choosing to follow the US in to military action whatever happened.

It is not in the US interests to see the UK start to follow a more independent defence policy as it is a key part of NATO so he's just giving us a gentle reminder that the US expects us to play ball in terms of the military alliance here and not start getting too many ideas of "taking back control".

On an orderly transition he's basically telling us don't get in to a protracted battle with your European allies.

If the UK has times of economic turbulence ahead, the US can either make things a bit easier for us or can make things very difficult for us if it wants, so Obama is making sure the message gets over this time, when we didn't listen to the US telling us to remain in the EU.

Reply 4

MagicNMedicine

20

Original post by KingBradly

I know you're being sarcastic, but to everyone reading this, the idea that Brits won't be able to travel to Europe without a Visa is a pretty stupid. There are plenty of countries around the world which you don't need a visa to visit. I don't see why European countries would be any different.

Well it depends on how hard ball the negotiations are. The EU will probably say that if UK citizens are to get visa free travel in to the EU, then it expects EU citizens to get visa free travel in to the UK. So what happens when Turkey secures the visa free travel that they are pushing for, for the EU. Does the UK get the right to say "we don't have the Turks though" - maybe, maybe not.

Reply 5

KingBradly

1

Original post by MagicNMedicine

Well it depends on how hard ball the negotiations are. The EU will probably say that if UK citizens are to get visa free travel in to the EU, then it expects EU citizens to get visa free travel in to the UK. So what happens when Turkey secures the visa free travel that they are pushing for, for the EU. Does the UK get the right to say "we don't have the Turks though" - maybe, maybe not.

All that is fairly irrevalent if the EU falls apart, which it most likely will.

Reply 6

DorianGrayism

19

lol. Brexit voters get excited when Obama states the obvious.

Reply 7

Good bloke

19

Original post by MagicNMedicine

Well it depends on how hard ball the negotiations are. The EU will probably say that if UK citizens are to get visa free travel in to the EU, then it expects EU citizens to get visa free travel in to the UK. So what happens when Turkey secures the visa free travel that they are pushing for, for the EU.

The answer is simple. Britons had visa-free travel throughout western Europe before entering the EU, and Europeans enjoyed similar privileges when travelling to Britain too. The same will apply after exit.

If Turks are given non-visa rights within the Schengen zone it wouldn't apply to travel to Britain even it Britain were in the EU.

Britons currently have to have a visa to get into Turkey, which takes the form of paying $20 dollars - a kind of tourist tax. This does not stop them from travelling, obviously.

Reply 8

TheTechN1304

OP

21

Original post by Good bloke

The answer is simple. Britons had visa-free travel throughout western Europe before entering the EU, and Europeans enjoyed similar privileges when travelling to Britain too. The same will apply after exit.

If Turks are given non-visa rights within the Schengen zone it wouldn't apply to travel to Britain even it Britain were in the EU.

Britons currently have to have a visa to get into Turkey, which takes the form of paying $20 dollars - a kind of tourist tax. This does not stop them from travelling, obviously.