Gabriel Elefteriu, Foreign Relations: NATO’s problem is political, not strategic
THE recent NATO summit that took place in Brussels on 11-12 July ended with an effusive endorsement of the Alliance by the man who many feared had come to blow it up. “Now we’re very happy”, President Trump said in his concluding press conference before adding that “the United States was not being treated fairly but now we are”, and that “I believe in NATO, I think NATO is a very important, probably the greatest ever done [sic]”. There was much more in this vein as the president extolled the “great unity, great spirit, great esprit de corps” achieved amongst the Alliance leaders during “a fantastic two days” – and the “$33 billion” extra cash he claimed to have extracted for NATO from its members.
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WNU Editor: A thoughtful assessment/analysis on the current U.S.-EU-NATO relationship. As to what is my take. NATO was always a political-military instrument, and it has had many up and down moments throughout its history. And while there is a problem of trust between the U.S. and some NATO governments right now, I have seen this before (height of the Cold War when President Reagan was in power, how to respond to the Yugoslav civil war, etc.), and yes .... I am optimistic that these differences will be brushed aside and/or accommodated with time.
Update: I know the person who is behind this new website .... Foreign Relations. He is also someone that I highly recommend. Over the past few years I have noticed that he has an insight in European trends that are a year or two ahead of the foreign policy experts. So bookmark his site. You will not be disappointed.
3 comments:
"All the sudden" D. Trump likes NATO. In my humble opinion that's not about Europe, that's about China. If China will go to war with the US, the 5th amendment of NATO can be claim. China will be at war with 2 other nuclear power (GB &F) and will be economically out with its 2 biggest partners.
The past is no prologue to the future. Western values of the 1950’s to 1990’s was much more cohesive than today. The American GOP stands for political ideas that would be scandalous in Western Europe. Policies on Islam, immigration, welfare, policing just don’t fly in Western NATO nations. See Boris Johnson’s treatment over his burka comment. This split in values is eroding American respect for Western Europe. Then intractable Western Europeans aversion to self defense, the rising Chinese challenges to the Americans and I think NATO for Americans will fade to indifference. Look at polls asking if a nations people will fight for their country. Germans said they won’t by a wide margin. If Germans won’t fight for Germany they won’t for Poland or Latvia.
Agreed anon though I think the tide is receding for immigration on a scale we have been witnessing. I seem to recall a reassessment of some social expenditures by some countries also. England, Norway and Sweden come to mind, I believe.
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