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First of all, all NATO countries committed to spending at least 2% of their GDP on our collective security. It is an embarrassment that most countries don’t, even after they committed themselves to doing so ASAP more than 10 years ago. It is not reasonable that Europe doesn’t do its bit for the alliance.

But Trump is amplifying a truth into a GIANT lie (on par, one might say).

The US benefits hugely from security in Europe. Imagine the size of the US economy of 500 million wealthy citizens in Europe were unable to buy the latest iPhone, or use AWS, or buy Teslas or any of the other myriad ways in which European euros flow into American dollars. Imagine what American security position would look like if they had a bullish China on the western border and a warmongering dictator dominated Europe on the eastern border. Imagine what US foreign policy would have to be if European nations weren’t aligned to American interests in world forums. America alone is America deeply, hugely threatened. The legitimacy of all the democratic west backing up the American position amplifies America’s like a megaphone. Imagine America’s ability to project power without hundred of allied bases, holding US spare parts, using US equipment, around the world. Even from a right-leaning, traditionally Republican stand-point, America deeply engaged in European security and freedom makes complete and utter sense.

What Trump fails to realise is that in current state, Europe effectively are semi-vassal to the US. If Trump seeks a world in which the large dominant players can play games with the smaller countries, he’s clearly failing to realise that he’s already got it and America is so much in the lead.

If he seeks to extort Europe, he should be careful what he wishes for. He’ll either achieve a Europe dominated by Russia or a Europe on its own feat, with multiple carrier groups pursuing EU interests, not always aligned with the US. Neither is in the US interest.