IAN BREMMER: Nato without the US
Can the defence alliance continue to exist without a clear and credible American commitment?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the most successful military alliance in history, is stronger than it’s ever been. Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine made Nato’s continuing purpose and value crystal clear, and the organisation brought in able new members Finland and Sweden. And while Russia is steadily losing soldiers, weapons and its longer-term economic resilience, it is Ukraine, not Nato, that is absorbing Russia’s blows.
But what about the future? European leaders know that Donald Trump has a solid chance of winning November’s US presidential election and that, given Trump’s history with the alliance, a Trump restoration would cast doubt on the lasting commitment of Nato’s core contributor and the credibility of the security guarantees that make the alliance so powerful...
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