December 12, 2016
We need to talk about NATO
Dear NATO and European ministers of defense,
I know you’re worried. You’re worried that the United States is about to have a commander in chief who has called the NATO alliance “obsolete.” You’re worried by Donald Trump’s campaign promise to defend NATO allies only if they meet their “obligations.” If you’re not spending the recommend 2 percent of GDP on defense, in other words, America’s next president may not meet our Article 5 commitments to defend you. And you’re worried about what Trump’s ever -amous “America First” slogan will mean in practice.
Don’t panic. Instead, use the coming weeks to put together a plan, both individually and collectively. That plan should have three core objectives: lay out the facts, get your house in order, and prepare for 2017’s NATO Summit in Brussels.
Read the full article at Politico.
More from CNAS
-
‘U.S. Military Leverage a Risky Tactic’: Bombs, Military Escalation Will Not Bring Iran ‘To the Table’
Video
Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Jim Townsend, Adjunct Senior Fellow in the CNAS Transatlantic Security Program and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for E...
By Jim Townsend
-
Orban Out: The Impact on European Politics, Ukraine, and Democracy
Podcast
On April 12, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat in the country’s general elections, which ousted his party Fidesz and ended his rule of 16 years. The electi...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
European Perspectives on the U.S.-Iran Conflict
Podcast
On April 7, after more than five weeks of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 14-day ceasefire, provided Iran allows passage through the St...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
War in the Middle East: The U.S. Rescues Missing Airman from Iran
Video
Jim Townsend, Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security joins France24 t...
By Jim Townsend
