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Europe Basically Can’t Defend Itself if the U.S. Pulls Out of NATO
Slate via Yahoo ^ | February 27th, 2024 | Fred Kaplan

Posted on 02/27/2024 7:04:19 PM PST by Mariner

Fearing that Donald Trump will pull out of NATO if he’s reelected president, and alarmed that the U.S. Congress is close to cutting off military aid to Ukraine, many Europeans are discussing the possibility of building their own independent defense force to deter and, if necessary, stave off an expansionary Russia.

Here’s the problem: The task is impossible. At least for the next several years, Europe requires the North Atlantic Treaty Organization—an alliance that must be led by the United States—for its protection.

NATO’s 30 European members (in addition to their trans-Atlantic partners, the U.S. and Canada) have been spending more money on defense since 2014, when Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea, and even more since 2022, when he invaded all of Ukraine. Although just three of the countries were fulfilling their pledge to spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense, 18 are on track to hit or surpass the mark this year.

(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: europe; nato; sostoppickingfights
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The assertion is BS.

The very rich European Conglomerate could, with political will, spend 5% annually starting this week. That would be quite impactful.

And now is the time for the US to pull out of NATO while Russia is tied up and weakened. It's well past time.

1 posted on 02/27/2024 7:04:19 PM PST by Mariner
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To: Mariner
Europe Basically Can’t Defend Itself if the U.S. Pulls Out of NATO

Pure BS. Europe doesn't want to pay to defend itself. US taxpayers get stuck with the bill while Europe squanders it's own money on social welfare and sneers at us. Screw them.
2 posted on 02/27/2024 7:08:06 PM PST by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: Mariner

The US is not going to pull out of NATO. Fake news and a false premise. Fear mongering.


3 posted on 02/27/2024 7:10:17 PM PST by Ge0ffrey
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To: Mariner
F Europe.

That-s-a-Shame

4 posted on 02/27/2024 7:11:44 PM PST by AlaskaErik (There are three kinds of rats: Rats, Damned Rats, and DemocRats.)
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To: Mariner

The EU is an enemy of the US.


5 posted on 02/27/2024 7:13:52 PM PST by cowboyusa (YESHUA IS KING OF AMERICA! DEATH TO MARXISM AND GFLOBALISM ! AMERICA, COWBOY UP!)
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To: Mariner
Although just three of the countries were fulfilling their pledge to spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense, 18 are on track to hit or surpass the mark this year.

Europe can't make up for 30 years of neglect in one, or two, or even five years. The whole of Europe has one freakin' aircraft carrier, but it cannot deploy to the sea because there aren't enough serviceable aircraft or trained pilots.

NATO was always a sham, anyway. It was a defense welfare project that ultimately, hurt its receipients in the long term.

Let's assume for a minute that Zeeper fantasies come true and Russia invades Alaska. What are the chances we'll see Portugese or French troops in Alaska? My guess is zero, as well.

6 posted on 02/27/2024 7:14:36 PM PST by Right_Wing_Madman
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To: Mariner

With a general mobilization Europe would have the second largest army in the world, China being the largest. They have a very large manufacturing capability and good military know-how. Europe can take care of itself. It is the US who doesn’t want give it up, even though it is time. Trump can make it happen.


7 posted on 02/27/2024 7:15:29 PM PST by elpadre
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To: Right_Wing_Madman

“The whole of Europe has one freakin’ aircraft carrier, but it cannot deploy to the sea because there aren’t enough serviceable aircraft or trained pilots.”

Italy, Britain and France all have carriers.


8 posted on 02/27/2024 7:16:02 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Mariner

It is NOT impossible, just improbable.


9 posted on 02/27/2024 7:19:04 PM PST by glorgau
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To: Mariner

Defend itself? Against who? The Russian military dropped to 10% of it’s size after the wall came down. They tried to engage in trade with the EU.
Meanwhile NATO has been on a crazed binge attacking Serbia for Kosovo, attacking Libya for Al Qeida, unleashing a massive wave of African and moslem immigration. Then spreading east right up to the Russian border. Then they all worked to start the war in Ukraine.

And they worry about how to “defend” themselves?


10 posted on 02/27/2024 7:19:29 PM PST by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI)
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To: Mariner
simple.

nato can ask Afghanistan for help

equipment wise they are now the 4th largest equipped army on the planet with a whopping 84 billion worth of american hardware.

just a suggestion /-).

sink or swim nato.

bailed you out twice last century now its your turn.

11 posted on 02/27/2024 7:21:23 PM PST by cuz1961 (USCGR Vet, John Adams Descendant , deal with it.)
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To: All

Europe has nothing Russia would want.

Certainly not an unstopping flow of Muslim refugees.

People just don’t get. Excepting Norway, Europe has no oil. The conversation stops there. Romania ran out long ago.


12 posted on 02/27/2024 7:22:49 PM PST by Owen (.)
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To: Mariner
Italy, Britain and France all have carriers.

Thank you for the correction.

13 posted on 02/27/2024 7:23:09 PM PST by Right_Wing_Madman
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To: Mariner

Defend itself from what? It has already been conquered by GloboHomo Satanists, except for Hungary.


14 posted on 02/27/2024 7:23:13 PM PST by Trumpisourlastchance
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To: Right_Wing_Madman

The problem for NATO countries isn’t their budget, it is that their population is not that into joining the military, and it’s a jobs program for bureaucrats. ALso their are flooded internally with one of the most existential enemy imaginable... and they refuse to see it.

They can’t even secure their own homes from the horde that walked in, and they want to go to war elsewhere? Ridiculous.


15 posted on 02/27/2024 7:23:26 PM PST by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI)
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To: Mariner

Two years to take a third of little old Ukraine and NATO can’t handle them???


16 posted on 02/27/2024 7:23:43 PM PST by Revolutionary ("Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!")
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To: Mariner

Carriers sink in 10 minutes. Effectively useless.


17 posted on 02/27/2024 7:23:56 PM PST by Trumpisourlastchance
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To: Mariner

They could defend themselves if they wanted to. They don’t want to; rather, they want someone else with deep pockets to deplete its treasure and sacrifice its young men do it for them. And resenting them all the time as they do it. It is the way of an entitled coward.


18 posted on 02/27/2024 7:26:22 PM PST by fidelis (Ecce Crucem Domini! Fugite partes adversae! Vicit Leo de tribu Juda, Radix David! Alleluia!)
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To: Right_Wing_Madman

Why do they need a carrier? They don’t have to project power around the globe. They just need to defend themselves against a hostile power on their own continent. Plenty of air fields in Europe.


19 posted on 02/27/2024 7:31:25 PM PST by tarator
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To: Mariner

They can figure it out, although who are they going to fight? Muslim immigrants/invaders? GET ON IT.


20 posted on 02/27/2024 7:33:36 PM PST by Glad2bnuts (“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: We should have set up ambushes...paraphrased)
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