Americans must understand that NATO does not only protect allies but is a vital part of a comprehensive strategy that promotes their own interests and sustains their country’s global leadership position. Withdrawing from the transatlantic alliance would reduce US influence without significantly reducing US military spending.
TORONTO – As NATO marks its 75th anniversary, the idea that it is free-riding on the United States remains a live issue. While Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized America’s transatlantic allies for spending too little on defense, it is worth remembering that presidents going back to Dwight D. Eisenhower (including John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Barack Obama) also pressured the Europeans to share more of the burden. After Lyndon B. Johnson’s secretary of defense, Robert S. McNamara, suggested that the US might reduce its troop levels in Europe if the Germans did not step up, the two countries entered an “offset agreement” whereby Germany would compensate the US by purchasing US goods.
TORONTO – As NATO marks its 75th anniversary, the idea that it is free-riding on the United States remains a live issue. While Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized America’s transatlantic allies for spending too little on defense, it is worth remembering that presidents going back to Dwight D. Eisenhower (including John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Barack Obama) also pressured the Europeans to share more of the burden. After Lyndon B. Johnson’s secretary of defense, Robert S. McNamara, suggested that the US might reduce its troop levels in Europe if the Germans did not step up, the two countries entered an “offset agreement” whereby Germany would compensate the US by purchasing US goods.