Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US is playing its leadership role in NATO the full. Yet at the same time, it appears that in the future the defence of Europe will increasingly become the Europeans’ own business.
At the June 2022 Madrid Summit, NATO leaders gave the green light to transition to a New Force Model (NFM) in the course of 2023. The avowed aim is to create a pool of 300,000 troops in a high state of readiness (as opposed to some 40,000 today), and to pre-assign these to specific defence plans. This is very ambitious (as well it should be), all the more so because these will mostly be European troops. Is NATO building a European army? […]
Over the years, many Europeans have come to misunderstand what an alliance means: as if in every scenario their main ally, the US, takes the lead, sets the strategy, and provides the tip of the spear. That is a protectorate, not an alliance. One can hardly blame the US for at times behaving high-handedly towards those who take its protection for granted.
In a normal alliance, one organises to defend oneself, and calls upon one’s allies when necessary – not by default. Läs artikel