Trump's Wholesale Assault on Allies
Allies are meeting at the G7 and NATO Summits this month hoping to avoid a big blow up with Donald Trump. But his assault on the security, economic, and political foundations is real and lasting.
In my latest “From Across the Pond” column in Politico Europe, I warn America’s allies not to focus too much on the atmospherics of the G7 and NATO Summits this month. Trump’s assault on allies is real and lasting.
In the next few weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with America’s main allies for the first time since returning to office. On Sunday, he flew to Canada for the annual G7 meeting, and later this month, he’ll go to the Netherlands for the annual NATO Summit.
At both meetings, America’s allies will try to placate him on issues ranging from trade and security to the preservation of these forums as a means of coordination and cooperation in the face of critical challenges. And while Trump regularly sought to blow up such meetings in his first term, allies are growing confident they’ve done enough to avoid mishaps this time around.
Even if these meetings proceed without incident, however, they’d be wrong to assume all is right and well in their relations with the U.S. The global environment has fundamentally shifted since Trump’s return five months ago. Most crucially, he and his administration have begun a wholesale assault on the economic, political and security foundations of Washington’s relationship with longstanding allies.
Read the entire article on Politico.eu.