Rym Momtaz
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The NATO alliance is at that moment every relationship eventually struggles with. One side knows the other wants to make changes, but keeps pretending like they can avoid having the tough conversation and hence facing the necessary changes.
Many European allies are trying hard to avoid discussing with the United States the capabilities drawdown that could result from the ongoing American Strategic Posture review. The good news is that it is certainly not all Europeans, and fewer of them are in denial than in 2016, when U.S. President Donald Trump was first elected.
But with a month to go before the next NATO Summit, Europeans would collectively improve their stature and value in Trump’s mind if they engage with the U.S. administration on how to coordinate a reduction in American military presence in Europe. Framing burden-shifting in these terms would be evocative for Trump. The idea would be for Europeans to commit to a timetable over the next six to ten years to ramp up capabilities and readiness, to fill the gaps that would remain if the United States chose to withdraw most of its nonstrategic capabilities.
This time around, success won’t be just about maintaining unity on Russia’s threat and avoiding a blow up with Trump: It will be about whether the allies manage to lay stronger and fairer foundations to carry the NATO alliance forward for decades to come. If the Europeans succeed, this summit could become a landmark moment of strength.
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