It's now Nato's war too

16.03.2026 - EB

The war against Iran was started by the U.S. and Israel, but Donald Trump is dragging Nato into it. First by punishing Spain for being critical of the war, and now by demanding in an interview with the Financial Times that Nato countries send minesweepers and "people who are going to knock out some bad actors that are along the [Iranian] shore." By declaring the war to be a Nato engagement, Trump is giving new meaning to the demands of U.S. Amb. to the CR Nicholas Merrick and Amb. to Nato Matthew Whitaker for Czechs to honor the Nato pledge to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP. If the CR can be subjected to such ignominy because of a pledge due in a decade, what should the "punishment" be for not keeping the promise now of Article 1 of the North Atlantic Treaty? It requires Nato members to settle international disputes by "peaceful means" so that "international peace and security and justice are not endangered." Trump has violated this and is now insisting that other Nato countries do the same.

Glossary of difficult words


minesweeper - a ship or aircraft equipped for detecting and removing or destroying explosive mines;

ignominy - public shame or disgrace.



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