What Is NATO’s Fair Share?
We hear President Trump complaining
about NATO countries not paying their fair share to the alliance. The US shoulders more than half the budget
and stations a significant number of troops in Europe. But what is a “fair share.”
Does the US investment in Europe’s
security justify the excess funding and personnel? I say yes. What was the goal of NATO? It was to keep Europe democratic and not turn
towards communism. Also, for the 1st
four decades it was also to stop the old USSR from invading. In late 1991 the USSR dissolved, however,
NATO was maintained at its historical levels.
In the past 25 years Russia has emerged
as a “threat” to Europe. But how? Putin
wants to bring back the old Russian Tsardom with himself at the head. He is trying to destabilize countries that
border Russia. He invaded Georgia and annexed Crimea. NATO did nothing but sanctions. This emboldened Putin. He will continue to try to divide the European
Union.
The US payment in NATO not only helps
the European countries but also itself.
The US participated in both World Wars with significant losses in Europe. Any investment the US makes to keep Europe
safe is worth it. They are our strongest
allies. Trump’s complaining is misguided
and shows how ignorant he is of why NATO exists. Should we continually assess how much we
should fund NATO and how many troops we keep there, absolutely. Are the European countries getting a free
ride at our expense? Only if you look at
it as a cost and not an investment.
NATO is vital to our interests and
theirs. We need to keep it strong at
whatever cost it takes.
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