So long as a powerful actor threatens the democratic international order, NATO must continue to exist. The organization serves American interests as well as those of Canada and our European allies. So, what’s the problem? Why is NATO now suffering near-unprecedented instability?
The main culprit is not President Trump.
Trump has been wrong to question the necessity of NATO, and he seems to know it, otherwise, why would he put pressure on Europe to meet its NATO commitments? That pressure, meanwhile, seems to have extracted more defense spending from them. On net, Trump has strengthened NATO.
We wish we could say the same about President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany. The leading powers of Europe are undermining the alliance.
First, there is Europe’s increasing deference to Vladimir Putin. Second, there is Turkey’s apparent determination to degrade NATO from within. Neither point is controvertible.
Take Germany. Despite boasting Europe’s largest economy, it continues to avoid spending even as much as 1.4% of its gross domestic product on defense. That matters, because NATO’s minimum defense spending target, reaffirmed in 2014, is 2%.
The European Union’s largest economy is not only scrimping on defense, but it is also actively enabling Putin’s strategy of energy extortion. Merkel continues to support Putin’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. That will exacerbate Europe’s dependence on Russia for energy, making it more susceptible to Putin’s blackmail. This concern is not frivolous or theoretical. Russia has repeatedly shut off energy supplies to nations that upset the Kremlin.
For all his fine words on liberal internationalism, Macron has been short on action. Like the Germans, the French keep shirking their NATO obligations on defense spending. But even worse, Macron is now pushing for a European rapprochement with Putin. This, barely a year after Russian intelligence officers spread a highly toxic nerve agent around British towns, killing an innocent woman and putting dozens of other lives at risk. Along with Macron’s submission to Beijing, this is a much greater threat to NATO than any of Trump’s tough and untethered talk.
Sadly, the rest of Europe is following the poor example set by France and Germany. Spain scrimps on defense while allowing Russian warships to resupply at its ports. Italy has gone cheap on defense while actively supporting Macron’s rapprochement agenda. A coalition partner of the most recent Austrian government was an open member of the Putin fan club. Belgian leaders laugh when America complains that they spend less than 1% of GDP on defense. It is shameful that these nations have blamed America for the malaise within NATO. It matters because they are betraying NATO allies on the alliance’s eastern flank.
It is no coincidence that those countries in Russia’s shadow do not fail to meet the 2% spending target. It’s shameful that Merkel and Macron don’t take their treaty obligations as seriously as do Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
Then there’s Turkey, whose increasingly unstable president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is integrating Russia’s S-400 air defense system into his military portfolio. Erdogan also now accepts Putin’s direction in Syria. This is a result of the Turkish president’s gross arrogance and utter disregard for the alliance’s purpose.
NATO forms a critical foundation of the Western democratic order. It has ensured and continues to ensure that we are free, safe, and prosperous. Trump should reaffirm this understanding in words and action. But so should Europe start acting as if it cares about NATO. Because the present evidence is clear: Turkey risks becoming a NATO adversary from within, and Europe’s commitment to the alliance too often begins and ends with words.
