Europeans fear Donald Trump’s return to the White House, and who can blame them after he said he’d “encourage" the Russians to “do whatever the hell they want" to allies who don’t pay enough for their defense? Yet that comment should wake up those in Europe who think that U.S. reservoirs of resources and will are infinite. Mr. Trump reflects a growing American frustration with many allies that refuse to face the harsh international reality: that rivals are arming rapidly, and the only guarantee of security remains a large, and perhaps unsustainable, U.S. military expenditure.
Europe has enjoyed a decadeslong vacation from the obligation of any polity: security. The benign international conditions of the 1990s and early 2000s seemed to be a prelude to a peaceful global community. Now it’s clear that progress toward global harmony isn’t happening, and nourishing such illusions is dangerous.
Hi! You're reading a premium article! Subscribe now to continue reading Subscribe now Already subscribed? Login
Premium benefits
35+ Premium articles every day
Specially curated Newsletters every day
Access to 15+ Print edition articles every day
Subscriber only webinar by specialist journalists
E Paper, Archives, select The Wall Street Journal & The Economist articles
Access to Subscriber only specials : Infographics I Podcasts
Unlock 35+ well researched
premium articles every day
Access to global insights with
100+ exclusive articles from
international publications
Get complimentary access to
3+ investment based apps
TRENDLYNE Get One Month GuruQ plan at Rs 1
FINOLOGY Free finology subscription for 1 month.
SMALLCASE 20% off on all smallcases
5+ subscriber only newsletters
specially curated by the experts
Free access to e-paper and
WhatsApp updates
Not convinced yet?
Share your contact details and
we will get in touch with you…
= 48 && event.charCode Confirm
Thanks for sharing your number