Andreas Andersen

Dear Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby (@USWPColby), Thank you very much for your lengthy post setting out the principles and guidelines that you believe should govern America's former allies in NATO. For our part, we have taken note that President Trump no longer consistently guarantees that NATO's Article 5 will be honoured. We have taken note that President Trump has shown a marked inclination to do Vladimir Putin's bidding, even when doing so runs counter to our strategic interests and to our political and moral commitments to Ukraine. We have taken note that the U.S. administration has moved NATO allies further down the queue for deliveries of American weapons than previously agreed. We have taken note that President Trump has repeatedly spoken disparagingly of the sacrifices made by our soldiers when NATO allies answered the call after the United States invoked Article 5. We have taken note that President Trump appears to believe, mistakenly, that NATO is some kind of emergency hotline the United States can call whenever military operations far outside the Alliance's purpose and area of responsibility go wrong. We have also taken note that President Trump regularly speaks of acquiring sovereignty over Canada and Greenland. And, of course, we have taken note that President Trump has shown a clear willingness to unilaterally disregard the trade agreements concluded between the European Union and the United States. Taken together, all of this means that we must adapt to the reality that we can no longer rely on the United States. And that is exactly what we are doing. You are, of course, quite right that American defence manufacturers produce excellent weapons. But many of those systems are also becoming outdated in light of contemporary military doctrine - as the war in Ukraine has demonstrated with remarkable clarity. We naturally appreciate that you still find the time to lecture us on your views and on America's expectations. But in light of the chain of events set in motion by President Trump and his administration, we must admit that they carry rather limited weight.