Beyond annexing Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s greatest strategic objective is the weakening of NATO primarily by means of separating NATO’s strongest member, the United States, from its North Atlantic allies.
The NATO alliance has withstood many challenges in its history, but it has never faced the shocks it now experiences from inside its own membership ranks. Repeated threats by Donald Trump and members of his administration to annex Greenland — a part of Denmark, one of our closest NATO allies — or to make Canada a “51st” state are unprecedented in NATO history and may very well give Putin his greatest strategic victory.
It was horrifying to read that leaders of some of our closest NATO allies were so concerned about the threatening rhetoric from the Trump administration that they felt the need to issue a joint statement declaring that “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
I served side by side with military members of the NATO alliance when they stood with us following the 9/11 attacks. Some of those allies suffered more casualties on a per capita basis than the United States did in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. They are rightfully feeling betrayed by a country they believed was a reliable friend and ally. It is rightful to push NATO allies to spend more on their own defense — something they are now doing — but it is another thing entirely to threaten annexation of their sovereign territory.
Congress must reign in the diplomatic destruction being caused by this administration before America finds itself friendless in a dangerous world and Putin achieves one of his greatest goals.
Dr. Steven Smith
Logan