Andrew Korybko
This might be the US’ final warning before it takes
drastic action to punish those who continue to reject Trump’s demands
Under Secretary of War for
Policy Elbridge Colby gave an important
speech at mid-April’s Ukraine Defense Contact Group in which he urged
the Europeans to step up their transition to something that he described
earlier this year as “NATO 3.0”. As was explained here,
“The idea is that NATO should return to focusing on defending itself instead of
overextending itself in the Indo-Pacific, West Asia, Eastern Europe, and
elsewhere”, and the preceding hyperlinked analysis explains how it aligns with
Trump 2.0’s policies.
Circling back to Colby’s
speech, he demanded that “Europe must accelerate its assumption of primary
responsibility for the conventional defense of the continent”, including arming
Ukraine through the “Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List” (PURL) program in
which the US plays the most significant role. To that end, “The need to quickly
rebuild European munitions stocks is paramount, as is the need to remove
protectionist trade barriers that stifle the continent’s industrial potential.”
He added that “Developing a
robust, capable, and integrated European defense industrial base cannot simply
be an aspiration, but an absolute pre-requisite for credible deterrence and
defense.” Knowing how obsessed they are with Ukraine, Colby then threw in that
“This will be critical to achieving an end to the war in Ukraine, on terms that
support an enduring peace.” He then called for more “deeds and a fundamental
change in attitude” from them to “accelerate this transition to a ‘NATO 3.0’”.
Colby concluded that “If Europe rises to this moment – truly embracing primary responsibility for the defense of the continent in line with our vision of a rebalanced ‘NATO 3.0’ – we will all be stronger and more credible in defending our people and our national interests.” He also ominously warned them midway through his speech that “I underline the criticality of [NATO stepping up to help secure the Strait of Hormuz per Trump’s expectation] for our relationship going forward.”























