Europe is better prepared to work with a Trump White House than it was eight years ago but still needs to do more to boost its defense spending, former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in an interview with Foreign Policy.
“Though the Europeans are better prepared now, we need to do much more,” said Rasmussen, who added that the alliance should raise its spending targets from 2 to 3 percent—a move that both President-elect Donald Trump and NATO officials have backed.
Rasmussen echoed the cautious optimism of Ukrainian officials that Trump’s businesslike approach to world affairs could potentially be of benefit in any talks to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“His unpredictability combined with his desire to look like a winner could be used to help the Ukrainians build up a leverage that can be used,” Rasmussen said. “From my time as secretary-general of NATO, I know that unpredictability can be very forceful when it comes to deterrence.”
The former NATO chief said restrictions on Ukraine’s ability to use Western weapons to strike Russia should have been lifted a long time ago, and he criticized the Biden administration for being too cautious in its approach to the conflict out of fear of provoking Moscow.
“I think our hesitation, and the hesitation of the Biden administration, has actually fueled the war. It has given [Russian President Vladimir] Putin appetite for more,” he said.
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