Showing posts with label NATO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NATO. Show all posts

Thursday, February 12, 2026

WELT: Without US backing, Europe would struggle to defend against a Russian invasion - POLITICO

"Russia could become even more dangerous to NATO after some sort of peace in Ukraine, especially if it's a bad peace, if it is a Ukrainian capitulation," Lungescu told WELT. She called the wargame "very realistic, unfortunately."…

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/11/welt-war-games-simulation-germany-00776446 


 

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

France honors soldiers who died in Afghanistan after Trump's false claim about NATO troops | PBS News

A senior French government official said Monday the memory of the French soldiers who died in Afghanistan should not be tarnished following U.S. President Donald Trump's false assertion that troops from non-U.S. NATO countries avoided the front line during that war...

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/france-honors-soldiers-who-died-in-afghanistan-after-trumps-false-claim-about-nato-troops 


 

Thursday, January 22, 2026

China sees an opportunity in Greenland, but not in the way that Trump thinks

According to Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign affairs chief, China and Russia must be having a "field day" about Donald Trump's plans for Greenland, which Kallas says will divide Nato...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/21/china-strategic-opportunity-greenland-us-donald-trump


 

Trump says he won’t impose tariffs after reaching Greenland deal ‘framework’ - POLITICO

Some Republicans on Capitol Hill have been increasingly vocal in their opposition to U.S. control of Greenland. A bipartisan congressional delegation met with Danish officials in Denmark last week, and some Republicans had floated the possibility of withholding appropriations to prevent Trump from taking further action in Greenland...

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/21/trump-greenland-tariffs-nato-00739429 


 

Monday, January 12, 2026

David Frum on Trump’s Venezuela Venture (Al Franken podcast on YouTube)

We had a chaotic start to the new year with Donald Trump invading Venezuela and kidnapping dictator Nicolás Maduro. We’re joined by The Atlantic's David Frum to help us make sense of and give us important context on the situation. Trump says that America is running the country and might be there for years to come. It sounds more like old-fashioned imperialism than a democratic transition.

Trump has openly admitted that this is about oil. He says he's taking Venezuelan oil and putting it into a special account controlled only by the President. Isn't it the job of Congress to appropriate how money is spent in this country?

We also discuss the administration's plans for Greenland. Are we actually prepared to seize it from our NATO ally, Denmark? Trump says yes. How crazy is that?!

Al also shares his thoughts on the horrific situation in his home state of Minnesota as ICE’s reckless aggression led to the murder of Renee Good.
Interview: 

Thursday, September 11, 2025

Poland shoots down drones over its territory amid Russian attack on Ukraine

Poland scrambled its own and Nato air defences to shoot down several drones that entered its airspace on Wednesday morning, as Russia's attack on Ukraine spread to Nato territory in the most significant way since the full-scale invasion more than three years ago...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/10/poland-shoots-down-drones-over-its-territory-amid-russian-attack-on-ukraine-says-military


 

Poland accused Russia of violating its airspace. Here’s what to know. - The Washington Post

Under NATO's founding treaty, any member can unilaterally invoke Article 4. It allows allies to register their concerns but stops short of a formal request for assistance and does not oblige fellow members to take any action. 

 Instead, it triggers a consultation mechanism — giving members a chance to "exchange views and information, and discuss issues prior to reaching agreement and taking action." This could pave the way for joint NATO action, but it does not necessitate it...



Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Trump’s Russia Policies: Return to Normalcy or Defeat for America? (John Donvan; Open to Debate podcast)

As he did in this first presidential term, President Trump has continued to signal closer alignment with Vladimir Putin. This included a tense February Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where he claimed Ukraine was responsible for the war. The U.S. also joined Russia in voting against a UN resolution condemning Russia’s action in Ukraine and Vice President Vance has called for a re-evaluation of the U.S.'s relationship with NATO. 

Could these actions, and others, help chart a return to a state of improved U.S.-Russia diplomatic relations or lead America toward defeat in the region and beyond? 

Those who argue that Trump’s actions signal a return to normalcy say that European security should be Europe’s responsibility, which could lead to a stronger, more self-sufficient NATO, and that recent years of antagonism have failed to alter Russian behavior. 

The Trump administration could help bring U.S.-Russia relations into constructive focus at a high-stakes moment. However, those who declare this a defeat for America argue that Trump warming up to Putin will only encourage Russian aggression, hurt Ukraine, and erode our allies’ trust.

With this background, we debate Trump’s Russia Policies: Return to Normalcy or Defeat for America?

Arguing "Defeat for America":
  • Bill Browder, Head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign 
  • Alina Polyakova, President and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) 
Arguing "Return to Normalcy": 
  • Jeffrey Sachs, Economist, Public Policy Analyst, and Professor at Columbia University Thomas Graham, Distinguished Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; Co-founder of Yale University’s Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Program 
  • Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates 
Interview: 

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Putin is invading more than Ukraine – POLITICO

But Putin's aggression is focused on the U.S. and all its allies. He's spending millions of dollars, bombarding European voters with manipulative social media and disinformation campaigns on a mass scale. It's a new type of warfare on democracy that eliminates the need to roll tanks into capitals. 

 Putin's constantly evolving playbook is the result of his failed military campaign to capture Kyiv and strangle Ukrainian democracy. He ran into Ukraine's indominable resilience, and as a result, he began deploying a long-standing Russian (and Soviet) strategy to destroy Western democracies from within by supporting and cultivating pro-Putin political candidates. And TikTok, Telegram and other social media channels are now weapons in this new kind of war… 

Unfortunately, too many people who should know better are still cozying up to Putin, backing his pro-Russian candidates and undermining the security of the U.S. and other democratic allies. Elon Musk protégé Mario Nawfal was in Moscow in May, while tech billionaire Elon Musk's father and controversial American right-wing commentators Jackson Hinkle and Alex Jones attended the Future 2050 forum in Moscow in June. Speaking at the forum were numerous Putin allies: right-wing Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and former president Dmitry Medvedev…

https://www.politico.eu/article/vladimir-putin-invasion-ukraine-russia-romania-elections-democracy-nato-eu-donald-trump/


Thursday, June 26, 2025

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Is Trump’s America A Reliable Ally? (John Donvan; Open to Debate podcast)

For decades, the U.S. stood as a stable, predictable, and committed global power—one its allies could count on in times of crisis. Thanks to its extensive network of alliances—NATO in Europe, bilateral security pacts in Asia, and numerous partnerships in the Middle East and beyond — America helped anchor the global order. But under President Trump, the reliability of that leadership is being tested.

Recently, the Trump administration has insisted that NATO allies raise their defense investment to five percent of GDP and has cast doubt over whether the U.S. would defend any allies that spend too little. The Pentagon is considering a proposal to reduce its military footprint in Europe in favor of prioritizing the Indo-Pacific region and countering China. While Trump is back in the Oval Office, is America still the ally the world can count on?

Those doubting America’s reliability under Trump argue that other countries will now feel uncertain and exposed, giving rise to questions over whether future Trump-era foreign policy would be based on enduring commitments or transactional politics. This could force them to re-evaluate and fortify their security. Those who say the U.S. is still reliable under Trump argue NATO and other countries have relied too much on America’s geopolitical power. Pushing allies to take more responsibility will ultimately strengthen the global security architecture and ensure a more balanced alliance.

With this context, we debate the question: Is Trump’s America A Reliable Ally?
Interview: 

 

Friday, May 23, 2025

Finland ‘preparing for the worst’ as Russia expands military presence near border | Finland | The Guardian

Finland has said it expects Russia to further build up troops along their shared border when the war in Ukraine ends, after reports that Moscow had strengthened its military bases near the Nato frontier. 

Maj Gen Sami Nurmi, the head of strategy of the Finnish defence forces, said the military is following Moscow's manoeuvring "very closely" and that it was their job, as part of the Nato alliance, to "prepare for the worst"...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/21/finland-expects-russia-to-build-up-troops-at-border-after-ukraine-war-ends



Friday, March 7, 2025

Trump questions if NATO would defend US, but 1,000 allies were killed in the war on terror - ABC News

In fact, NATO's Article 5 clause has been invoked only once in the alliance's 76-year history, and that was on September 12, 2001 -- the day after Al Qaeda killed almost 3,000 people on American soil...







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