Europe Cannot Stand Behind The U.S. When It Comes To Supporting NATO

FRONT AND CENTER: President Donald Trump jovially greeted fellow world leaders on Wednesday afternoon at the opening ceremony of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's leader's summit in Brussels

Ramon Marks, National Interest: Reality Check: NATO's Defense Budget Woes Won't Disappear

Europe cannot hide forever behind the military skirts of the United States.

Western Europe and the United States are at loggerheads over any number of issues, ranging from Iran, the Climate Accord, trade, the recognition of Jerusalem, to NATO military contributions. While the Atlantic partners share common democratic values and feed off the prosperity of one and other, fundamental geopolitical fissures are emerging that are more than surface frictions created by passing political personalities on either side of the ocean. Two crowning achievements of the post World War II era, NATO and the European Union, are experiencing real strains reflecting long developing imbalances. If these institutions are to remain effective contributors to global stability in the twenty-first century, the need for strategic adjustment is inevitable.

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WNU Editor: NATO and Europe have changed since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Unfortunately .... many European governments are still living in the past, expecting the U.S. to shoulder the financial burden of supporting NATO. Will this mindset change? In the short term the answer is a definite no.

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