Isolationists take comfort from the oddest things. Russia wants to drive America from Europe to make Europe easier to dominate. But American isolationists see Russia flailing against NATO-supported Ukraine as proof America should abandon NATO and exit Europe. Defending Europe is not an American gift to Europe.
Expanding NATO will make Europe more reliant on America?
Oh! So close to being right or even relevant! Europeans can spend more on defense and lessen their
dependence on America any time they want. And spending that money within NATO makes
European defense more effective. That's what the 2014 NATO agreement says--spend 2% of GDP on defense by 2024. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has given added impetus to that pledge.
Is the alternative really to spend money on a EU military? Which must be built from scratch while weakening the existing NATO? That EU path would be far less effective for the purpose of defending Europe. But from the EU's perspective, that path would strengthen the proto-imperial EU and help it strip away the prefix.
The author's claim that Russia's invasion of Ukraine proves Europe doesn't need America is dangerously wrong. Most European militaries are in worse shape than Russia's.
And who has funneled large amounts of weapons to Ukraine to enable it to successfully resist Russia? America. Followed by Britain (which left the EU). The largest EU member, Germany, has struggled to send token aid.
But hey, if Europe turns away from NATO, American influence--which helped create a free Europe after World War II--would be reduced. Which for the aspiring European ruling class is a feature rather than a bug. And for isolationist Americans it is a way to pretend America is not needed in Europe--and that America doesn't need Europe.
I do actually believe that Europeans have the economic power to build military power to contain the Russian threat. I believed that before Russia invaded Ukraine. But it should be through NATO which knits all the small militaries together into a coherent whole; provides a credible nuclear deterrent; and keeps America involved in preventing Europe from falling to a hostile power--which includes the Brussels-based EU and not just Russia.
Europe isn't only an ally. Europe is an objective that has long driven American foreign policy. It is a massive concentration of economic, scientific, and demographic power. And so a massive concentration of potential military power. Keeping Europe an ally--by keeping NATO strong--helps America protect that objective.
Let's not forget what letting Europeans sort out their own affairs did to America's economy during the Napoleonic Wars:
In 1805, a British court ruled that goods from the French West Indies bound for Europe on American vessels, even though shipped by way of the United States, were subject to seizure. When the commercial provisions of Jay's Treaty of 1794 expired in 1807 and American diplomats were unable to negotiate a new agreement to President Jefferson's satisfaction, British interference with American shipping increased. Meanwhile, Napoleon challenged British policy with the Berlin Decree of 1806 and Milan Decree of 1807, which closed European ports under his control to British goods and declared that neutral ships complying with British trade regulations would be confiscated. The United States was caught in the middle.
And the War of 1812 demonstrated that power projected from Europe could be devastating to America. Luckily, Britain needed to pivot back to Europe to re-defeat France.
Of course, we didn't have a choice but to watch helplessly then. We have the power to prevent threats from developing there now.
God help the West if a hostile entity controls Europe. We don't want to experience D-Day all over again to set the continent right.
NOTE: War coverage continues on this post.
