Czech president Petr Pavel warned that Donald Trump’s recent comments questioning the role of Nato have damaged the alliance’s credibility more than the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has done in several years.
Pavel, a retired Nato general and former chair of the Nato military committee, also said that Trump’s criticism of the alliance over the Iran war was “to put it mildly, unfair”.
“The moment we begin to question the alliance as a single, united entity, ready to act together and very decisively then, of course, its role is lost,” he warned.
He said that Trump ‘s criticism appeared to miss the fact that Nato is a defence alliance, and “not an alliance that will automatically help in wars waged outside its territory”.
Honestly, as a European, this is a good thing. For far too long the entire western world have basically been vassals of the American empire. This is an opportunity to finally get out from under their shadow and forge our own path, away from imperialism and towards peaceful multilateral diplomacy.
Unless at least Germany and Poland acquire nukes the EU will be a dwarf in a US/China dominated world.
The main thing NATO ensured was nuclear non-proliferation.
With NATO gone everyone in Europe needs nukes to survive.
France has nukes, at least. I agree, though, unfortunately and tragically it seems that nuclear sovereignty is becoming necessary.
Unfortunately, the EU needs to federalize, obtain an EU army and EU controller nukes.
It does seem to be going that way. We certainly do live in interesting and terrifying times. Reminiscent of the build up towards World War 2, except this time, with nuclear weapons…
I wish it needn’t have happened in my time.
It was over with USA as being a trusted NATO partner when Trump threatened allies, first Canada as becoming part of USA, and later direct threats of invasion of Greenland that is a NATO ally, that has allowed all the American bases on Greenland they wanted.
The latter was the nail in the coffin for many European politicians. They just generally don’t say it out loud, but are moving on without USA.Maybe it could have been saved if Trump had been removed for making those threats, but he wasn’t. And Trump was also not removed for threatening Iran with nuclear strikes “annihilating a great nation”.
It is far from just Trump, it’s not even just the fact that about half the American voters voted for him. It’s also the complete lack of democratic checks and balances to remove a madman like Trump. Failure of both the people the judicial system and the political system.
We cannot rely on a rogue criminal nation like that. And then some Americans act surprised that China is now considered a lesser danger to the world than USA.
This. Even a large portion of the American left doesn’t take those threats seriously. One of the most powerful countries in history threatening your own and the only response is jokes on the fuckin’ Colbert Report.
Unfortunately despite there are a lot of good Americans, there are more that either don’t give a shit or even support the current regime.
to be fair trump is an effect of putin.
tump is an effect of neo liberalism, capitalism
I dont know until when will libs live in denial
I disagree. I think it shows that NATO has a modicum of a spine and won’t bow to a corrupt president no matter how conventionally powerful their military.
Id say anything trump does to nato should also be included in putin’scolumn
One of the main reasons I hate Putin is that he inflicted Trump on us. For that alone, he should suffer horribly.
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Putin is that he inflicted Trump on us
how?
Trump: Yeah, that’s the point.
Hurt? The alliance is dead and only continues to exist by inertia while something else is organized in Europe. If anyone believes at this point that the USA would honor Article 5, they are simply stupid.
Putin hasn’t hurt Nato’s credibility at all. More like strengthened it relative to Russia’s credibility.
edit Unless we count Trump of course.
Yes and no. Putin has shined a light on the flaws of NATO’s unanimity clause. The idea was that if someone is going to enter into (and gain the protection of) a collective defense deal, everyone actually needs to agree to defend each other. It can’t simply be a majority vote where some countries vote “No” but are compelled to follow along anyways.
Because asking another country to send their citizens to defend a country halfway across the world is already difficult. Trying to compel it would be a lesson in frustration, and would have objecting member states circling the wagons and abandoning the entire agreement as soon as Article 5 was invoked. But it means that a single holdout can stall the process indefinitely.
Iran is not a member of NATO so I don’t see how Trump being an absolute piece of shit damages nato reputation. It is common knowledge Trump wants to leave nato anyway
