Trump’s Inconvenient NATO Truths

[Geee]

Compact Magazine

This week, 20 European leaders gathered in Paris to reiterate their steadfast support for Ukraine’s struggle against the Russian invasion. This show of resolve was complicated by the complaints of Ukrainian leaders about their dwindling supplies of ammunition and their NATO allies’ inability to meet their commitments. It was just the latest indication of the dire state of the West’s war effort, and the unwillingness of European leaders to accept that they are losing. The weapons, training, and sanctions haven’t been enough to improve Kiev’s battlefield fortunes. On the propaganda front, too, the West has been losing ground as Gaza’s civilian death toll mounts.  

A loss in Ukraine would almost certainly force change on NATO. Yet practically the only public figure openly calling for a restructuring of the Western Alliance is Donald Trump, who has long demanded that European countries pull their weight on the security front. Earlier this month, the former president and likely Republican presidential nominee raised eyebrows by suggesting he was fine with letting the Russians “do whatever the hell they want” with NATO allies who don’t do their part. But as undiplomatic as his way of making this point may have been, Trump was merely playing a role he has played in the past: voicing truths others won’t, for now.       :snip: