Is it time for the US to re-evaluate our commitment to NATO?

[Razgovory]

Russia is not a military threat to the EU.

I imagine the Baltic States feel a bit different, especially in the wake of the Georgian war.

[Razgovory]

Speaking of cats and superpowers, my cat has a better chance of becoming a superpower then the EU.

[Jacob]

Russia is not a military threat to the EU.

I disagree.

[Jacob]

I very much doubt Russia could get anywhere near the Pyrenees. And certainly never beyond those. Our only vulnerable enclaves are in Africa, and those are specifically excluded from NATO.

So you don't think the EU should be interested in defending anything between the Pyrenees and Russia? Because that's rather what it sounds like.

[Duque de Bragança]

The US spends 4.8% of its GDP on defence. The only other NATO country that comes close is the UK, but that's only 2.7%. 42.8% of the entire military spending in the world is by the US!

Sure about that ? A quick search gives me Turkey (2.7)  and Greece (3.2) on par with the UK or above and France barely below (2.5).
Wikipedia's source is the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

[alfred russel]

The EU and  NATO obviously don't completely overlap, but regarding countries that border Russia that aren't in NATO you currently have Finland and could have Ukraine in the not to distant future. It isn't hard to imagine Russia intervening in the Ukraine.

[Iormlund]

I very much doubt Russia could get anywhere near the Pyrenees. And certainly never beyond those. Our only vulnerable enclaves are in Africa, and those are specifically excluded from NATO.

So you don't think the EU should be interested in defending anything between the Pyrenees and Russia? Because that's rather what it sounds like.

Who said anything about the EU?

All I read is bitching about big NATO countries not pulling their weight. And those are precisely the least threatened by Russia.

[alfred russel]

I very much doubt Russia could get anywhere near the Pyrenees. And certainly never beyond those. Our only vulnerable enclaves are in Africa, and those are specifically excluded from NATO.

So you don't think the EU should be interested in defending anything between the Pyrenees and Russia? Because that's rather what it sounds like.

Who said anything about the EU?

All I read is bitching about big NATO countries not pulling their weight. And those are precisely the least threatened by Russia.

If the big NATO countries are focused just on the threat Russia poses to them when setting spending, you aren't going to have much in the way of a NATO military deterrance. The countries that are close to Russia in Europe tend to either be small or poor.

[Razgovory]

I very much doubt Russia could get anywhere near the Pyrenees. And certainly never beyond those. Our only vulnerable enclaves are in Africa, and those are specifically excluded from NATO.

So you don't think the EU should be interested in defending anything between the Pyrenees and Russia? Because that's rather what it sounds like.

Who said anything about the EU?

All I read is bitching about big NATO countries not pulling their weight. And those are precisely the least threatened by Russia.

I'm a bit confused.  Is your argument, "We shouldn't have to spend much on NATO because we aren't on the front lines"?

[Iormlund]

I'm a bit confused.  Is your argument, "We shouldn't have to spend much on NATO because we aren't on the front lines"?

No, my argument is that it is ridiculous to tell someone they owe you protection money when in fact there's nobody to protect them from.

[Zanza]

The EU and  NATO obviously don't completely overlap, but regarding countries that border Russia that aren't in NATO you currently have Finland and could have Ukraine in the not to distant future. It isn't hard to imagine Russia intervening in the Ukraine.

It's extremely unlikely that Ukraine joins the EU anytime soon. There is no enthusiasm at all in the EU to enlarge at this time and Ukraine is increasing its alignment with Russia instead. Croatia will probably join and that will be the last country to join for some years, unless Switzerland, Norway or Iceland want to join for some reason. The rest of the West Balkans might join by 2020 or later, but that's about it.

Georgia is seen as an American problem.

The Baltic countries are the only ones that are actually threatened by Russia. But I don't think that Russia would risk a war over them so it will stay at the bullying level. At the moment, European airforce patrol the airspace there and the EU could take over that task from NATO if necessary.

[Martinus]

So, let me get this straight. NATO should be disbanded because NATO members are not willing to participate in missions that NATO was not created for in the first place? 

[Martinus]

The EU and  NATO obviously don't completely overlap, but regarding countries that border Russia that aren't in NATO you currently have Finland and could have Ukraine in the not to distant future. It isn't hard to imagine Russia intervening in the Ukraine.

Ukraine joining the EU in any foreseeable future is out of question.

[Neil]

No.  NATO should be disbanded because the Europeans are useless and utterly incapable of being useful or relevant in global affairs.

[Razgovory]

So, let me get this straight. NATO should be disbanded because NATO members are not willing to participate in missions that NATO was not created for in the first place? 

No, they are incapable of participating.