December 05, 2019
NATO Is Struggling Under Trans-Atlantic Tensions
NATO leaders gathered in London this week for a brief summit marking the alliance’s 70th anniversary. The trans-Atlantic community looked on with trepidation—not because there was an imminent military crisis to navigate or a major alliance decision to make, but because of U.S. President Donald Trump’s propensity to derail meetings. This time around, however, Trump was not the only source of contention.
Ahead of the meeting, there were plenty of warning signs of impending discord. French President Emmanuel Macron said the alliance was suffering “brain death” and in recent months has pushed an increase in outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin—a position certain to disconcert Central European and Baltic countries. And Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, emboldened by the strengthening of his own relationship with Putin, said he wouldn’t commit to NATO’s plans in the Baltic States unless alliance members capitulate to his position on classifying Kurdish fighters in Syria as terrorists.
Read the full article in Foreign Policy.
More from CNAS
-
Putin’s Point of No Return
Commentary
The United States and Europe must invest in resisting Russia now or pay a far greater cost later....
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Michael Kofman
-
What Can Europe do in Syria?
Podcast
After 54 years of brutal rule in Syria, the al-Assad family’s reign came to an end last week. Following 13 years of devastating civil war, which saw over a million refugees fl...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Trump and the War in Ukraine with Michael Kofman and Robert Lee
Podcast
More than 1000 days into the War in Ukraine, questions about continued support for the Ukrainian effort and the prospect of a negotiated settlement in the months to come have ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Rob Lee & Mike Kofman
-
RUSI Recording: The Impact of the U.S. Presidential Election on European Security
Video
Jim Townsend, an adjunct senior fellow in the CNAS Transatlantic Security Program, joins RUSI to discuss the impact the next US presidential administration will have on NATO, ...
By Jim Townsend
