NATO’S NEVER-ENDING STRUGGLE FOR RELEVANCE

COVID-19 will disrupt NATO as it has everything else, worsening pre-existing fault lines. The alliance is more than capable of weathering the current storm: It has consistently proven its durability since completing its original Cold War mission of deterring Soviet aggression. But the pandemic presents an opportunity to address longstanding challenges. Doing so will require a U.S. president who believes in NATO and in democracy, and if there is a change in the White House in January, the United States should work with its allies to reimagine burden-sharing, defend against democratic backsliding, and help the alliance cautiously pivot toward China.

Burden-sharing has long been a major source of bickering within the alliance, with Washington bemoaning its European partners for not meeting the pledge to spend 2 percent of GDP on defense. That tension, however, could easily further escalate in light of the significant economic challenges that NATO member states will face due to COVID-19 and the pressure to spend on bolstering their public health infrastructure.

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Πηγή: warontherocks.com