NEWSWATCH: “As Trump re-evaluates NATO, NATO must rethink Russia; With tensions running high in NATO, it seems the alliance is in sore need of a fresh course on Russia and a new deal on security. A former US ambassador to Moscow and an ex-German envoy to NATO gave their takes to DW.” – Deutsche Welle/Darko Janjevic

NATO Meeting file photo

… In addition to calling NATO ‘obsolete,’ Trump has pressured … members to increase … defense spending and signaled a more isolationist foreign policy …. * * * Unlike Trump, Matlock believes … boosting defense spending would be a step in the wrong direction. * * * … With the United States changing its stance, European powers will need to shoulder a larger share of the defense burden within NATO, Bitterlich said. … Under Trump, Washington would likely pressure its European allies to boost their military efforts, possibly including interventions near the EU, Bitterlich said. In the medium term, this tendency should lead to a ‘European pillar’ inside NATO and tighter cooperation between the EU and the alliance. Bitterlich said Germany, with its troubled past, would be most comfortable with France taking the leading role on military matters. The first task for Europeans would be to prepare for Trump’s official visit …. a #G7 meet in Italy and a NATO summit in Brussels. This would include … a plan to improve and strengthen … defense capabilities of European countries … provisions for joint forces and command structures, more specialization and joint armament programs. … * * * … The moment has arrived for NATO to build a more reasonable relationship with #Russia, Bitterlich said. …”

Click here for: “As Trump re-evaluates NATO, NATO must rethink Russia; With tensions running high in NATO, it seems the alliance is in sore need of a fresh course on Russia and a new deal on security. A former US ambassador to Moscow and an ex-German envoy to NATO gave their takes to DW.” – Deutsche Welle/Darko Janjevic

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