Commentary
An epic clash of MAGA versus waning Globalism is about to take place as Air Force One flies to The Hague in the Netherlands for the annual NATO Summit. Ambassador Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO (i.e. the U.S. Ambassador to NATO), gave comments at a State Department briefing yesterday that set the stage before President Trump arrives:
“Starting tomorrow, NATO leaders from all 32 Allies will gather in The Hague for a summit that marks a major milestone for our Alliance. The summit will be historic. This summit is really about NATO’s credibility, and we are urging all of our Allies to step up to the plate and pay their fair share for transatlantic security.
Thanks to the bold leadership of President Donald J. Trump, NATO is on track to achieve a historic commitment – each Ally pledging to spend at least 5 percent of their GDP on defense. This commitment is more than just a number; it represents a renewal of NATO’s relevance, a rebalancing of the burden for our collective defense, and a clear signal that the Alliance stands united against today’s security challenges, from Russian aggression to emerging threats in cyber and space.
The 5 percent commitment is the single most important step NATO can take to ensure it remains strong and ready for the future. But this commitment is just the beginning. NATO is not only about defense; it is a powerful engine for prosperity and innovation. Our shared investments help sustain and grow industries that support good-paying jobs, foster technological advancement, and build resilient supply chains across the Atlantic.”
Midnight Hammer dazes the NATO Lilliputians
With the decisive strike at Iran to destroy the three Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, the NATO Nations were reminded that American leadership was back. The European nations that in times past projected their influence around the world have been reduced to wallowing in their own fecklessness while gazing at the American MAGA Colossus. Midnight Hammer also showed the European junior varsity players the Trump Doctrine of generating, projecting, and applying force when a seminal threat presents itself. In 2020, the former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Leader, who was Iran’s most powerful military commander, General Qasem Soleimani, found this out at Baghdad airport by a surgical U.S. Operation. In addition to the IRGC, the 62-year-old oversaw Iranian military operations in the Middle East as head of Iran’s elite Quds Force. President Trump said that Soleimani was “directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of millions of people”.
The NATO nations have allowed their militaries to atrophy from Cold War highs and have little ability to generate and project force even within their own countries. There have been exceptions such as Poland and tiny Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, all of which have been punching well above their weight. The United Kingdom’s military has vanished. The Royal Air Force cannot even protect its own fence line. Activists easily gained access to the tarmac at RAF Brize Norton which holds the few transports and tankers remaining in the RAF and gave the RAF a virtual wedgie by spray painting several large aircraft.
5% is the new 2% or get lost
NATO will likely receive the same epic beat down the World Economic Forum received by President Trump (with a supporting pummeling from President Milei of Argentina). The outgoing NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg used new math to fictitiously show that 22 of the 32 nations were at 2% of GDP for defense spend at the previous NATO Summit in Washington D.C. in 2024. Amazing since in the spring of 2024 only 12 of the 32 nations were at 2% or higher. This time, the new Secretary Mark Rutte will be under terrific pressure to deliver real numbers from all 32 NATO nations. Spain has already asked for and received an exception to the 5% goal which has already received fire from President Trump who said Spain has “always paid very little” and “should pay the same as everyone else”. Trump also zeroed in on Canada as one of the worst offenders of defense under-spend.
Ambassador Whittaker gave further definition to the 5% to help tamp down on the creative accounting, pioneered by Stoltenberg,
“this 5 percent does have two components. It has a 3.5 percent component that is hardcore defense – tanks, airplanes, battleships – but the – then there’s also 1.5 of defense-related spending. And it’s – again, as I mentioned on previous hub calls, this is not a grab bag that everybody can just throw additional spending into, but it’s crucial things like infrastructure that enables military mobility…
Additionally, the 1.5 percent of the overall 5 percent enables Allies to face the realities of a ever-evolving and changing security environment. For example, as we see more challenges in the cyber domain and hybrid threats, increased spending on resilience and cybersecurity will be crucial. Because as I mentioned I think on the last hub call, the first shot of the next war will be a cyber attack, or an attack on critical infrastructure. It won’t be a tank rolling across someone’s border on the – of NATO.”
Labor, strain, and sweat now or pay later
Many of the NATO nations had built substantial military capacity to contribute to a mighty deterrent force during Cold War days. Unfortunately, social welfare spending became the priority for these nations after the Cold War. They succumbed to Globalist ideals and threw open their borders while expecting America to provide for their defense.
Many of the NATO nations see Russia as a mortal threat with a possible assault across the Suwalki Gap to create a land bridge to Kaliningrad which would seize territory from Poland and Lithuania. Chinese Paratroopers are already pre-positioned in Belarus to help. If the NATO countries are concerned and want to deter conflict, they need to pay up now.
All viewpoints are personal and do not reflect the viewpoints of any organization.
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