Soldiers with the U.S. Army’s First Infantry Division take part in Allied Spirit VIII multinational exercises in Hohenfels, Germany, January 2018. (Private First Class Shelton Smith/US Army)
Jerry Hendrix, NRO: European Security: Who Wants It?
The Europeans must show a commitment to NATO by increasing spending and modernizing their military forces.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a source of strength for the United States and the nations of Europe, but Europe is endangering NATO’s continued existence through its own actions. If NATO is to remain an effective mutual-assistance defense force, then all the member states must step up and demonstrate their willingness and ability to bear their portion of the burden of alliance membership. Make no mistake, it is Europe’s unwillingness to do so thus far, and not the election of President Donald Trump, that has created the vacuum that invited the present reevaluation of NATO’s future. When it comes to mutual security in Europe, the question that currently haunts the continent is “How much does Europe want it?”
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WNU editor: Jerry Hendrix is right when he says the following ....
.... So, as President Trump makes his trip to Brussels and then on to Helsinki, it would be best for European leaders to understand that the future of the alliance lies not in his hands, but theirs.
Unfortunately .... I doubt that European leaders are going to make the commitment to make that happen.
