Doug Bandow
Europe is feeling a bit abandoned these days. Used to regular
reassurances from Washington on its commitment to transatlantic
security, European leaders are now shifting their defense strategies in response
to mixed signals from President Donald Trump on the
United States’ role in NATO. Even Secretary of Defense James
Mattis has come down hard on the alliance, demanding that Europe
“show its support for our common defense” or else
Washington would alter the nature of their partnership. Worried
Europeans, however, may be slightly comforted by U.S. Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson’s decision to attend a NATO foreign
ministers’ meeting on March 31, after originally planning to
miss the gathering.
Fear that …read more
Source: Cato Institute