New York Times (September 2)
“More than anyone, President Vladimir Putin of Russia has set the agenda for NATO’s 65th summit meeting this week, which could well be the most consequential since the Cold War ended.” Ironically, his antics may serve to strengthen NATO. He “has forced on it a new and urgent purpose by effectively invading Ukraine and demonstrating his utter disregard for the international system.”
Financial Times (August 18)
With the momentum of the Solidarity movement, Poland broke free of the Soviet Union on August 24, 1989. “Twenty-five years on, a generation of Poles has grown up with no personal experience of communism. Poland is a sovereign democracy, an increasingly prosperous market economy and a proud member of Nato and the EU— a nation transformed from the dreadful era of one-party rule, dismal living standards and subservience to Moscow. Poland, you could say, has never had it so good.”
Tags: Communism, Democracy, EU, Market economy, Momentum, Moscow, Nato, Poland, Solidarity, Soviet Union
Chicago Tribune (August 18)
George Will writes it is “a different world.” European nations have less to offer NATO. “Since the Cold War’s end, the combined gross domestic product of NATO’s European members has grown 55 percent, yet their defense spending has declined almost 20 percent.” For example, the UK is scheduled to cut military personnel by 10%, tanks and artillery by 40% and decommission its only aircraft carrier.George Will writes it is “a different world.” European nations have less to offer NATO. “Since the Cold War’s end, the combined gross domestic product of NATO’s European members has grown 55 percent, yet their defense spending has declined almost 20 percent.” For example, the UK is scheduled to cut military personnel by 10%, tanks and artillery by 40% and decommission its only aircraft carrier.
Wall Street Journal (March 24)
Nato’s efforts in Libya are in disarray. There is no consensus about how operations should be conducted or who should lead them. Already tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. really does not want to lead the Libyan coalition. It may have to. “In the absence of U.S. leadership, everyone else quarrels, frets and cavils, and we get a concoction like a “political steering committee” to run orders of battle.”
Tags: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Nato
