Defense leaders from both sides of the Atlantic scrambled this week to downplay the impact of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, saying the United States’ closest military relationship would be sheltered from the upheaval that may lie ahead.

A British official said the United Kingdom remains committed to its membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and will continue to partner with the United States against the Islamic State and other shared threats.

“There clearly has been a significant impact over the last few days, and things will play out in the markets and elsewhere as they will,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to frankly discuss his government’s position. “But from where I sit . . . we still intend to be the strongest nation in NATO that we possibly can be. The nature of our relationship with the U.S. has not changed one iota.”

An American defense official also staked out military ties as an area of the transatlantic relationship that would be largely shielded from the economic and political changes that may accompany Britain’s transition to a more solitary role along Europe’s western edge. He suggested that the widespread concerns about Brexit were overblown.

“We showed up to work the next day,” the official said.

Source : washingtonpost.com