Former ambassadors to NATO weigh in on its future
Molded from the ashes of World War II, NATO has proven to be a successful defensive and geopolitical partnership among the European Union, the U.S., and Canada for almost 70 years. NATO forces came to the aid of the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks, and they are a line of defense against conventional and nuclear attacks for millions of citizens from Turkey to Iceland. In addition, NATO allows the U.S. to operate strategically important military bases deep inside Europe. But President Trump has long been a vocal critic of the 29-member alliance, questioning its continuing relevance and complaining that the U.S. has shouldered too large a share of NATO’s budget compared with well-off nations like Germany. He has reportedly mused privately about leaving the alliance. Sensing that NATO’s role as an enduring multinational defense alliance may be slipping toward “crisis,” two Harvard affiliates and former U.S. ambassadors to NATO, Nicholas Burns and Douglas...