POLITICAL NEWS

 *POLITICAL NEWS*

*Will NATO leadership shift from America to Germany?*

An analysis piece in *The Washington Times* noted that "in response to a perception among many in the European Union that the United States has mismanaged the coronavirus outbreak, EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell told an audience in Berlin... that some European analysts had been talking more and more about the 'end of an American-led system and the arrival of an Asian century'. The 27-nation bloc, he concluded, should therefore 'follow our own interests'" (Daniel Davis, "Transitioning NATO into a European-Led Force", May 31,2020).

The article contends that Borrell has a point, stating: "A wealthy, strong and - critically - independent Europe is in America's interest. A re-evaluation of the trans-Atlantic relationship is long overdue... The first NATO Secretary-General, Lord Hastings Ismay, famously said that NATO existed to 'keep the Soviets out, the Americans in, and the Germans down'. But with the collapse of the U.S.S.R. - along with the rise of France, the U.K., and a reunified Germany as rich nations - the fundamental reasons for NATO's existence vanished. The once-compelling justification for the United States to underwrite the security of Western Europe has likewise disappeared".

*The Wall Street journal* reported that former "President Trump has directed the Pentagon to remove thousands of American troops from Germany by September 2020, a move that would dramatically reshape the U.S. military posture in Europe and reflects growing tensions between Washington and Berlin over military spending and other security issues" (Michael Gordon and Gordon Lubold, "Trump to Pull Thousands of U.S. Troops From Germany, "June 5, 2020).

In a June 23, 2020 interview with *Deutsche Welle*, current NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, "The world needs more German leadership... NATO needs German leadership. We all need Germany to play an even more important role because Germany is the largest economy in Europe" ("NATO Chief Stoltenberg: World Needs More German Leadership").

Shortly before that, the same source ran a story titled, "How Will Europe Guarantee Its Security Without the US?" (June 20, 2020). Many are pondering the implications. "Germany has been a key component of the US defense strategy in Europe for decades, with US nuclear weapons - to be delivered by German fighter jets in a moment of crisis - stationed here .

"If Europe wants to provide its own security it will have to come up with a replacement shield. As things now stand, France would be the only choice in stepping up to the task... (But) French missiles have never been integrated into NATO defense planning. Nevertheless, in the past the French have made clear their willingness to allow Germany proximity to its prized arsenal... The one seemingly intractable conflict inherent in the idea of a 'European bomb', however, is the question of who would decide to use it when a split-second decision is needed" (ibid.).

It should be noted that Europeans are currently unhappy with both the European Union and the United States. As a *National Pulse* headline proclaims: "European Union 'Failed', Was 'Irrelevant' During Pandemic Says Major, Continent-Wide Survey" (Derek Dunn, July 2). "The news will be seen as vindication of the United Kingdom's choice to exit the European Union, and the American political right's continued warnings about European-style socialism and increasing centralization of powers.. (However) while the results appear to be an unmitigated indictment of the status quo in the European Union, some of those surveyed believe more European integration is the solution to Europe's irrelevance during the pandemic... The European Union may have to make considerable changes, if it wants to justify its existence down the line".

Perhaps European military power will be further facilitated by America continuing to withdraw from the world scene and eventually handing over a lot of military equipment sitting in Europe to the current NATO allies.

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*The Ecumenican Church Nigeria*