Chris

They’ve got to, really. Hegseth has to be fair been quite explicit about the US’s forthcoming Pacific tilt. Even if it wasn’t presently kicking off in Ukraine, Europe has to wake up and take control of its own security. The irony is that in the post WW2 order, Europe not being fully responsible for its own security was the actual idea. American presence was meant to prevent European nations from re-arming to world-threatening levels in the name of self defence, thereby heading off another world war. Now Trump is complaining that America has been paying for European security as if he has no idea that that was the whole point. He probably does have no idea.

Anyway, if there is serious intent behind that statement (and you can bet there is on the part of the Poles if nobody else) it is going to make Trump’s chances of a quick win in Ukraine impossible to achieve. Ukraine won’t agree to 2014 borders, much less 2025 ones, and will feel no obligation to so so if Europe arms it to keep fighting.