July 16, 2018
Rhetoric aside, NATO's strategic logic remains sound
Transatlantic solidarity appeared strained on day one of the NATO summit, as leaders parried rhetorical blows from President Trump, including his charge that U.S. allies "owe us a tremendous amount of money for many years back."
Trump criticized countries spending less than 2% of GDP on defense, before making an unexpected call to boost the figure to 4%. He also said Germany was "totally controlled" by Russia, denouncing a planned gas pipeline that would link the two countries and yet speaking little about the Russian threats across Europe.
Yes, but: There have been meaningful policy and security agreements that risk getting lost amid the rhetoric.
The details: The 29 leaders — including President Trump — agreed on a "30-30-30" readiness initiative that would shorten the time necessary to assemble a force of aircraft, warships and land battalions. They condemned Russia's annexation of Crimea as "illegal and illegitimate," and pledged not to recognize it — just before Trump's meeting with Putin in Helsinki next week. They made progress on counterterrorism and military mobility, and began to sort out NATO cooperation with the European Union.
The bottom line: For all the superficial battering the alliance may take, its underlying strategic logic remains sound. The transatlantic partners are likely to get through the present crisis as they have through ones before. In many ways, the alliance works. While the current friction is unwelcome and largely unnecessary, reports of NATO's death are greatly exaggerated.
Read more from Axios
More from CNAS
-
Europe's Trade War Woes
On April 2nd, President Trump imposed sweeping tariffs across the globe – with only a handful of countries left untouched. The EU was hit with tariffs of 20% and the European ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Will Donald Trump Take Greenland by Force?
Trump’s comments have raised alarms in Greenland, particularly after US Vice President JD Vance announced he would visit the island. Greenland is rich in minerals, and it’s st...
By Jim Townsend
-
Turkey’s Democratic Downturn
Turkish democracy has come under fresh assault as the Erdoğan government arrested the leader of Turkey's largest opposition party and the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, an...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Kate Johnston, Aslı Aydıntaşbaş & Soner Çağaptay
-
Sharper: Russia and the Axis of Upheaval
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine served as a dramatic catalyst for strengthening the global axis of upheaval. To sustain its war effort, Russia has imported Iranian weapons a...
By Charles Horn