Excellnt breakdown of why leveraging existing NATO infrastrucure is smarter than territorial expansion. The point about seven of eight Arctic nations already being in NATO is compelling, basically saying the access is already there without needing ownership. I saw a similar dynamic play out in cyber defense partnerships where trying to go solo instead of through established multilateral channels ended up weakning overall posture rather than strengthening it.
I don't think the civilian leadership of the Trump administration has a clue to the ineroperbilty between United States forces and those of NATO. Mr. Trump mentioned Russian submarines in the waters near Greenland, he obviously hasn't a clue to how his Navy does ASW. Of course Secretary of Defense Hegseth is completely ignorant. Mr Hegseth only cares about his special forces bros! Just my humble opinion of an old sailor. (Hope I haven't upset anyone. )
Trump doesn’t get the beneficial concept of alliances born out of mutual trust.
Unless he ‘owns’ a region, he can’t imagine having a protective responsibility for it. I think I saw something on a news report today (in reference to Greenland) where he talked about (for him) the big difference between owning and leasing something. If he owns it - he cares about it, if he’s leasing - not so much.
This does not bode well for NATO (it’s finished - we should get over it and move on to a reformatted European defence pact, and quickly) or for Ukraine. The US won’t be there as a back stop / guarantor for any European boots on the ground security guarantee on Ukraine.
Europe needs to start getting a little punchy about assisting the US in stuff.
As an American, I would recommend to the members of NATO, don't trust Mr. Trump, Secretary of State Rubio, or Secretary of Defense Hegseth. Or Vice President Vance, has he is not an honorable man. Just the rambling thoughts of an old hermit.
Of course nobody in trumps regime has a clue what they're dealing with. Though I would have thought Rubio would have had a modicum of experience to draw on. I guess not, he's just become another lapdog for what the idiot in the WH wants. I'm not generally a conspiracy theorist but my take is that many of trumps cohorts might be not so squeaky clean and he's holding them "against their will?" They might be just as afraid of something from their past as trump is of the JE files? Otherwise I can't imagine why they are willing to throw their careers away in what is a zero plus game!
From a European perspective the question becomes more and more whether it is more dangerous to have the US in Europe or out of Europe. A US takeover of Greenland would settle that question. It’s also pretty clear that if the US has to give up its bases in Europe, its ability to project power in Europe and West Asia will be severely curtailed. If the UK asks the US to also leave Diego Garcia, the Donroe Doctrine will be brought to its logical conclusion: although the US would not be confined to the Western Hemisphere it would find it much more complicated to act militarily outside of it, and especially in Europe, Africa and West Asia.
Excellnt breakdown of why leveraging existing NATO infrastrucure is smarter than territorial expansion. The point about seven of eight Arctic nations already being in NATO is compelling, basically saying the access is already there without needing ownership. I saw a similar dynamic play out in cyber defense partnerships where trying to go solo instead of through established multilateral channels ended up weakning overall posture rather than strengthening it.
I don't think the civilian leadership of the Trump administration has a clue to the ineroperbilty between United States forces and those of NATO. Mr. Trump mentioned Russian submarines in the waters near Greenland, he obviously hasn't a clue to how his Navy does ASW. Of course Secretary of Defense Hegseth is completely ignorant. Mr Hegseth only cares about his special forces bros! Just my humble opinion of an old sailor. (Hope I haven't upset anyone. )
Trump doesn’t get the beneficial concept of alliances born out of mutual trust.
Unless he ‘owns’ a region, he can’t imagine having a protective responsibility for it. I think I saw something on a news report today (in reference to Greenland) where he talked about (for him) the big difference between owning and leasing something. If he owns it - he cares about it, if he’s leasing - not so much.
This does not bode well for NATO (it’s finished - we should get over it and move on to a reformatted European defence pact, and quickly) or for Ukraine. The US won’t be there as a back stop / guarantor for any European boots on the ground security guarantee on Ukraine.
Europe needs to start getting a little punchy about assisting the US in stuff.
Why should their military be in Europe?
Diego Garcia?
As an American, I would recommend to the members of NATO, don't trust Mr. Trump, Secretary of State Rubio, or Secretary of Defense Hegseth. Or Vice President Vance, has he is not an honorable man. Just the rambling thoughts of an old hermit.
Of course nobody in trumps regime has a clue what they're dealing with. Though I would have thought Rubio would have had a modicum of experience to draw on. I guess not, he's just become another lapdog for what the idiot in the WH wants. I'm not generally a conspiracy theorist but my take is that many of trumps cohorts might be not so squeaky clean and he's holding them "against their will?" They might be just as afraid of something from their past as trump is of the JE files? Otherwise I can't imagine why they are willing to throw their careers away in what is a zero plus game!
From a European perspective the question becomes more and more whether it is more dangerous to have the US in Europe or out of Europe. A US takeover of Greenland would settle that question. It’s also pretty clear that if the US has to give up its bases in Europe, its ability to project power in Europe and West Asia will be severely curtailed. If the UK asks the US to also leave Diego Garcia, the Donroe Doctrine will be brought to its logical conclusion: although the US would not be confined to the Western Hemisphere it would find it much more complicated to act militarily outside of it, and especially in Europe, Africa and West Asia.