Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 3, 2019

France's President Emmanuel Macron gestures during a meeting with President Trump, ahead of the NATO summit in London. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

David M. Herszenhorn and Rym Momtaz, Politico.eu: Allies unite to defend NATO — against Macron

Trump leads blunt criticism of French president as alliance leaders gather for summit.

LONDON — It wasn’t an attack on one ally that triggered NATO’s collective defense, but an attack by one: Emmanuel Macron.

As NATO leaders gather Tuesday in London to celebrate the alliance’s 70th anniversary, starting with a royal reception at Buckingham Palace, they appear united — 28 to 1 — against the French president. Or 29 to 1, counting North Macedonia, which is attending as a guest but is already approved to join NATO. Add in Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, and it’s 30 to 1 around the leaders’ table.

Suddenly, as quickly as one can say “brain death,” Donald Trump is not NATO’s biggest headache, nor the leader most at risk of being a pariah.

Trump himself wasted no time in kicking Macron even before the meeting started. After pre-summit talks with Stoltenberg, he branded the French president’s controversial comments on NATO “very insulting to a lot of different forces” and to Stoltenberg himself.

“It’s a very, very nasty statement to essentially 28 countries,” Trump declared, before launching a series of attacks on France’s economic performance and Macron’s policies.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 3, 2019

Trump takes bold stance at NATO as impeachment boils at home -- Zeke Miller and Aamer Madhani, AP

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Ankara? -- Katie Bo Williams, Defense One

Why Is Europe Bailing Out Iran's Regime Now? -- Eli Lake, Bloomberg View

Is Iran Near Collapse? -- Mohammed Ayoob, National Interest

Iraq’s Quiet Kingmaker Brings Down a Prime Minister -- Matthew Petti, National Interest

America and the Kurds -- John Bednarek & Svante E. Cornell, RealClearDefense

Why East Asian alliances matter for America -- Andrew Salmon, Asia Times

Can 'red gold' saffron replace poppy in Afghanistan? -- Reza Shirmohammadi & Shoib Tanha Shokran, DW

Pakistan taken on a self-destructive journey -- Imad Zafar, Asia Times

Japan Is a Soft Power Superpower -- Joshua Walker, Japan Times

The New Cold War? It's With China, and It Has Already Begun -- Niall Ferguson, New York Times

Meet the 100 People Who Will Decide Britain's Election -- Times of London

How the gunfights in north Mexico that left 23 dead unfolded -- Maria Verza, AP