German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Belgian PM Charles Michel, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, U.S. President Donald Trump and U.K. PM Theresa May at the NATO summit, Brussels, July 11, 2018 (Sipa photo via AP Images).
As NATO Turns 70, the European Security Debate Comes Full Circle
The mood will be somber rather than celebratory when NATO foreign ministers gather Thursday in Washington to commemorate the organization’s 70th birthday. History’s most successful multilateral alliance has had quite a run. A tranquil retirement, however, is not in the cards.
NATO’s 29 members confront a daunting agenda. The alliance is grappling with how to deter Russian aggression against its eastern flank; combat Kremlin-inspired and Kremlin-sponsored cyberattacks and political subversion; address the retreat of democracy in several member states; reinforce a still-fragile peace in the Balkans; manage an orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan; improve burden-sharing; adapt capabilities in light of technological innovation; and craft a joint approach to China’s rise. ...