Leaders | NATO

Europe is caught between Putin and Trump

Russian aggression and American wavering reveal how ill-equipped Europe is

image: Cristiana Couceiro, Getty Images

RUSSIA iS BECOMING more dangerous, America is less reliable and Europe remains unprepared. The problem is simply put, but the scale of its solution is hard to comprehend. The security arrangements based on NATO that emerged from the second world war—and have prevented a third—are so much part of Europe’s fabric that remaking them will be an immense task. European leaders urgently need to jettison their post-Soviet complacency. That means raising defence spending to a level not seen in decades, restoring Europe’s neglected military traditions, restructuring its arms industries and preparing for a possible war. The work has barely begun.

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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Is Europe ready? ”

From the February 24th 2024 edition

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