Writing for The Hill, Andrew Latham’s article asks the question: “Is America preparing to abandon NATO and Europe?”
Let’s hope so.
Latham is a professor of international relations at Macalester College in Minnesota, a senior fellow at the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy, and a non-resident fellow at Defense Priorities in Washington, D.C.
He believes that “the uncertainty surrounding America’s future commitment to NATO has never been higher.” He maintains that “if European allies continue to underinvest in their militaries and rely disproportionately on American security guarantees, they may soon find themselves without them.”
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Let’s hope so.
Latham concludes that “if NATO’s future depends on America indefinitely underwriting European defense, then NATO, in its current form, has no future at all.”
Let’s hope so.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established in 1949 by the North Atlantic Treaty (known as the Washington Treaty) with 12 member countries. Since its founding, NATO has been enlarged 10 times and now has 32 member countries.
The principle of “collective defense” is “enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty:
The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.
This means that the United States is obligated to come to the defense of countries like Albania, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia — all of which have armed forces that number less than 10,000 — and Iceland, which doesn’t even have a military. Aside from Iceland, how many Americans even know where these countries are? And how many Americans even care?
If the wisdom of the Founding Fathers had been followed, the United States would never have joined NATO—just like it never joined the League of Nations.
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In his Farewell Address, George Washington famously warned against “permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.” He also said, “The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible.” America’s third president, Thomas Jefferson, specifically warned against getting involved in Europe:
I am for free commerce with all nations, political connection with none, and little or no diplomatic establishment. And I am not for linking ourselves by new treaties with the quarrels of Europe, entering that field of slaughter to preserve their balance, or joining in the confederacy of Kings to war against the principles of liberty.
I have used my best endeavors to keep our country uncommitted in the troubles which afflict Europe, and which assail us on every side.
Since this happy separation, our nation has wisely avoided entangling itself in the system of European interests, has taken no side between its rival powers, attached itself to none of its ever-changing confederacies.
If the countries of Europe are that concerned about a non-existent Russian threat to their security, then let them band together to fund and maintain NATO. They just shouldn’t expect the United States to join with them.
