Far from Lithuania’s icy roads, where the exercise involving 4,000 allied troops from 11 nations sought to impress nearby Russia, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker stressed the need for a stronger defense posture before EU legislators earlier this month.
Even if the seeds of change were already planted, Trump shouted loud and clear over the summer that the United States stands ready to help European nations in the face of a Russian threat only if they pay their fair share for NATO’s combined defense.
Defense and military clout has never been a cornerstone of the EU, which built its network of close …read more
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
