Is President Elect Trump NATO’s Biggest Enemy? – OpEd

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NATO the first and continuing “enabler” as well as catalyst of the war in Ukraine in trouble

Western media predictably went to town following NATO’s summit meeting in Wash DC marking the organisation’s 75th anniversary when it released a communique accusing China of being a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

Taking up the US attempt to disrupt China’s trade and larger relationship with Russia and to further blacken China’s international image, outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stolengerg said that this was “the strongest message NATO allies have ever sent on China’s contributions to Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.” 

No evidence was provided of any weapons or military assistance provided by China to Russia in its Ukraine war to back up this accusation. Neither were there details provided of how China’s trade with Russia may be considered to be “illegal” or different from the rest of the world.

Significantly, this accusation on 15 July came after Indian Prime Minister Modi visit to Russia on 8-9 July in which he called Putin his “dear friend”, engaged in a much publicised bear hug, enthused that “[e]very Indian considers Russia to be India’s friend in good and bad times”’, and told the world that “[t]he commitment of our relationship has been tested multiple times and its has emerged very strong each time”.

It is no secret that Russia has been India’s largest weapons provider for decades and that Russia’s ability to continue the war in Ukraine has in large part been due to the reluctance and failure of countries led by India and China to participate in the West’s economic sanctions against Russia. Russia’s imports from India include electronic, engineering, industrial and other products that fall into the dual use supplies that China has been accused of being a villain but this NATO is apparently oblivious of, or is unable to join the dots on.

NATO’s Imagined and Other Enemies

The unprecedented NATO communique drew a sharp response from China. 

“On the Ukraine crisis, NATO hyped up China’s responsibility. It makes no sense and comes with malicious intent,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press briefing. “We urge NATO to reflect on the root cause of the crisis and what it has done, and take concrete action to de-escalate rather than shift blame.” 

Others less charitable would have gone further to point out that NATO is the first and continuing “enabler” as well as catalyst of the war in Ukraine. They would have also reminded NATO of its bloodied hands in conflicts and wars not only in Europe but also around the world such as in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq. In the appalling Ukraine bloodshed, it is necessary to note that a key causative factor was NATO’s efforts at further undermining Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union; and its promotion of issues and incursion into territory regarded by Russian leaders as critical to Russia’s security and interests.

The undeniable fact is that Russian leaders and some Western policy experts warned more than two decades ago that NATO expansion would produce a new cold war with Russia at best, and a hot one at worst. According to a report by Cato Institute – a US libertarian think tank organisation which cannot be considered a supporter of Putin in any way – George Kennan, the intellectual architect of America’s containment policy during the Cold War, had warned in a May 2, 1998 New York Times interview what NATO’s move eastward would set in motion. “I think it is the beginning of a new cold war,” he stated. “I think the Russians will gradually react quite adversely and it will affect their policies. See, “The U.S. and NATO Helped Trigger the Ukraine War. It’s Not ‘Siding With Putin’ to Admit It” in https://www.cato.org/commentary/us-nato-helped-trigger-ukraine-war-its-not-siding-putin-admit-it.

Is Trump NATO’s Biggest Enemy

Although NATO is bent on a continuation of the war in Ukraine and even to expanding it beyond Europe to take on what some observers describe as an “imagined China enemy” by its latest provocative moves in the Indo Pacific and Asian regions, it may well be that it will be in conflict with Trump who wants to go down in history as the peacemaker in the war between Ukraine and Russia. 

Trump on several occasions in the past has boasted that he can end the war in one day after he becomes President. Now that his win in the November presidential election is inevitable, it is not only Europe but much of the rest of the world which will be watching to see whether he will be able to live up to his word and mediate to realise the elusive peace agreement.

The leadership of NATO is probably having nightmares with the prospect of Trump’s imminent election not only for what it may mean for Ukraine. They are fully aware that Trump has disparagingly called Zelenskyy “the greatest salesman of all time” for his efforts to secure billions of dollars in military, economic and humanitarian aid from Washington. They will also be fearful that Trump’s administration – in contrast to Biden’s – may see an erosion of  American support for NATO and its war mongering activities. If so, Trump may well become NATO’s biggest enemy to take down.  

Lim Teck Ghee

Lim Teck Ghee PhD is a Malaysian economic historian, policy analyst and public intellectual whose career has straddled academia, civil society organisations and international development agencies. He has a regular column, Another Take, in The Sun, a Malaysian daily; and is author of Challenging the Status Quo in Malaysia.

5 thoughts on “Is President Elect Trump NATO’s Biggest Enemy? – OpEd

  • July 21, 2024 at 7:49 am
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    The first term Trump and the next term Trump may not be the same. Let’s pray the American people will grant him a second term.

    Reply
  • July 21, 2024 at 7:56 am
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    Well said, Professor Lim, well said — again.
    Those who falsify history and distort its causes and consequences live uneasily and eventually pay a high price.

    Reply
  • July 23, 2024 at 5:24 am
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    President Biden is now out of the run from the Presidential race having withdrawn his candidature. Trump’s election now seems near certain. With Biden and the former NATO Chief the proponent of the prolonged Ukraine war and expanding NATO eastwards out, NATO and Ukraine both are worried with the prospects of seeing Trump into his second term.
    Trump is not favourable to be giving aid to NATO for their security and his relations with Zelensky are not the one Biden had. Trump calls Zelensky “the greatest salesman of all time.” Both Zelensky and the former NATO Chief could convince the Biden Admin for wholehearted support and did get as well. Trump boasts of ending the Russia- Ukraine war in a day if he becomes the President and wants to be known as a Peacemaker and not a Warmonger. New NATO Chief likely to have hard times ahead with Trump if in power!

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  • July 24, 2024 at 5:55 am
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    Why also this talk about Biden and Trump? Biden’s off the stage and out the window. Trump is about to get the biggest drubbing of his life. He will be relegated to the scrap heap of history. Dumped, buried, left to rot.

    Reply
  • July 24, 2024 at 8:48 am
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    Ukraine must learn, all over again, about living in peace with Russia.

    Trump, during the period 2016 until 2020, stressed that NATO must pay its way. Otherwise, he bluntly said, that the US will look the other way if Russia threatens NATO.

    He also saw no reason for NATO as part of the US-led global security framework which included India, China, Russia and Japan, in order of importance.

    NATO, Trump felt, should focus on internal security.

    Trump ended the war-mongering UK-US Special Relationship initiated by Queen Elizabeth II in alliance with the US Military Industrial Academic (academic not often mentioned) Complex.

    Britain, under the Special Relationship, transferred responsibility for the Pakistan Public Treasury. The US Treasury assumed responsibility.

    Trump, after India prevailed on him, ended US support for the Pakistan Treasury. Pakistan appealed for aid from China after Saudi Arabia demanded repayment of loans.

    The British stole land in India and created permanent mechanism for conflict in the Indian subcontinent in the form of stillborn Islamic state Pakistan. The great Indian Army was divided. New Delhi, taking the cue from history since 1947 in the Indian subcontinent, cautioned Tel Aviv on the two state solution in the Biblical Holy Land.

    Ukraine happened, Trump stressed, because Biden dropped Russia from the global security framework. Also, Biden brought back the UK-US Special Relationship.

    Russia sees eastern Ukraine as buffer zone with NATO. If Moscow plans on reviving the USSR, so be it. The USSR already exists in the form of the Commonwealth of Independent States, based also on the 1955 Warsaw Pact. Ukraine can probably join the EU but not enter NATO.

    The US-led QUAD, initiated by Trump, in cooperation with India, Japan and Australia remains, but only on paper, for the Indo-Pacific War Theatre.

    India remains unhappy that the QUAD includes the “peaceful” Indian Ocean.

    Reply

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