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Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, echoing his boss in Washington, warned on Wednesday that the amount of American support for NATO could depend on whether other countries meet their own spending commitments.
"Americans cannot care more for your children's future security than you do," Mr. Mattis said in his first speech to NATO allies since becoming defense secretary. "I owe it to you to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States and to state the fair demand from my country's people in concrete terms."
"America will meet its responsibilities," he said, but he made clear that American support had its limits.
In his speech to NATO defense ministers, Mr. Mattis repeated a call made by previous American secretaries of defense, for European allies to spend more on their militaries. His comments on Wednesday give teeth to President Trump's expressed skepticism about the alliance.
What's more, Mr. Mattis went further than his predecessors in apparently linking American contributions to the alliance to what other countries spend.
"If your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defense," he said.
Source: The New York Times
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 19 2017, @12:29AM
I did not say it was a good idea. I did not say it was not going to end. I was also not disagreeing with you rather just answering your question in an albeit generic/generalised way.
I also agree with you on China. Most people miss it because they only feed the noisy chick but China is better at the long game than...well...anyone. (and have been for 1000s of years to my knowledge)
The authoritarian mindset is that that they cannot afford NOT to maintain it. It is in the subtext of pretty much all their foreign policy/budgets. What we (and to a large extent even US citizens) personally think about "their" reasoning is irrelevant.
Note the statement here is to stop it because it is a waste of money, just to make other people pay for it to spread the waste around.
I am not a US citizen if that was not obvious - not that this should matter...