U.S. and NATO need to be united as one
In supporting former President Donald Trump’s assertion that Russia can do whatever it wants to NATO countries that do not meet their financial obligation to the alliance, a reader is certainly correct in one regard: Trump has been consistent [“Reactions to Trump remarks on NATO,” Letters, Feb. 15].
It is true that many NATO nations have not met their 2% gross domestic product defense spending contributions, especially countries like Canada with robust economies.
It is also true that 18 of the 30 member nations are set to honor this commitment — up from 11 in 2023. It’s a positive trend.
Some members have contributed more than the obligatory 2%. Last year, Poland allocated nearly 4% of its GDP to defense, more than the United States.
I am reminded of the well-known phrase: “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
If the United States abandons NATO, I fear Russian President Vladimir Putin will accept Trump’s invitation, and evil will triumph.
— Ed Weinert, Melville
Letters have been written about Donald Trump’s reevaluation of our nation’s commitment to NATO and which member nations we should support. Few remember that after 9/11, our NATO allies had our backs during the invasion of Afghanistan. Our allies suffered over 1,000 fatalities fighting alongside our armed forces.
It would surprise me if Trump is even aware of this. In 2018, he called Canada, which suffered about 160 fatalities during the invasion, a threat to our national security over a tariff spat regarding aluminum and steel imports.
Admittedly, Europe, bordering Russia, benefits more than our country, but our nation along with our European allies all benefit from this alliance.
In Trump’s mind, everything seems to be a zero-sum game, so that makes our nation one of the suckers and losers, the same way he looks at our armed forces who gave their lives overseas to preserve our freedom and keep us out of larger…
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