“To his lasting credit, President Reagan never wavered. He recognized the strategic importance of staying the course, both in terms of denying Moscow the military hegemony it sought in Western Europe and of restoring the will, cohesiveness, and security of the NATO alliance, so badly frayed during the turbulent 1970s.” CoursesPresidentTermSecurityMilitaryEuropeImportanceWesternCreditStayingLastingStrategicAlliancesNatoMoscowRestoringHegemonyWestern EuropePresident ReaganCohesiveness Author:Frank Gaffney
“Unilateral disarmament by Britain is opposed to our country's best interests, could begin the unravelling of NATO and therefore jeopardise the stability of Europe.” CountryInterestEuropeOur CountryBritainStabilityDisarmamentNato Author:James Callaghan
“We had very good discussions on current security challenges and NATO's continued adaptation to meet them. Canada is a committed ally and a capable contributor to international security. We appreciate your quick decision to deploy forces, planes and ships to strengthen our collective defence in view of Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine, as well as your contribution to the international anti-ISIL coalition. Canada plays a major part in our decision-making and helps keep the vital bond between Europe and North America strong.” WellsPlayHelpingActionAmericaStrongForceChallengesDecisionViewsSecurityMajorsCapableEuropeAppreciateVery GoodInternationalCurrentsCommittedRussiaShipsPlanesDiscussionContributionCanadaCollectivesDecision MakingAlliesAggressiveNational SecurityAdaptationDefenceUkraineCoalitionsNatoNorth AmericaContributorsAppreciate YouIsilQuick Decisions Author:Jens Stoltenberg
“I dont want a Europe that is just a free-trade area attached to NATO. Even less do I want a Europe where its everyone against everyone, and social and fiscal dumping replaces solidarity.” WantSocialEuropeAreasTradeSolidarityNatoFree Trade Author:Segolene Royal
“When I served as US Ambassador to NATO in the 1970s, the center of gravity in Europe was France and Germany.” EuropeFranceGermanyGravityAmbassadorsNatoCenter Of Gravity Author:Donald Rumsfeld
“In 2003, at the time I made my "Old Europe" comment, the center of gravity in NATO and Europe had long since shifted to the East. With the former Warsaw Pact countries joining NATO, the alliance has a different mix today. Some people were sensitive about my comment because they thought it was a pejorative way of highlighting demographic realities. Apparently they felt it pointed a white light at a weakness in Europe - an aging population. Europe has come some distance since World War II in becoming Europe.” PeopleWorldWayLongMadeDifferentWarCountryRealityLightTodayFeltWhiteBecomingWeaknessEuropeDistanceAgingPopulationEastFormerSensitiveWar Of The WorldsCommentWorld War IiGravityWorld War IAlliancesJoiningNatoDemographicsPactWhite LightHighlightingWarsawCenter Of GravityAging PopulationWarsaw Pact Author:Donald Rumsfeld
“Vladimir Putin and Russia. 'When a bear wakes up from hibernation, he doesn't eat a few blueberries and then go back to sleep.' They have their eyes on Eastern Europe, and if NATO is not willing to stand up forcefully to this threat today, it will only become more difficult to do so down the road.” IfsEyeTodayDifficultSleepWillingBearsEuropeWake UpThreatRussiaEasternPutinDown The RoadNatoEastern EuropeBlueberriesHibernation Author:Seth Moulton
“US opposition to Russia and China has entailed sanctions against Russia, and Russia in turn has made counter-sanctions against Europe. So Europe is essentially sacrificing its opportunities for trade and investment in order to remain part of NATO. It is also agreeing to bomb Syria and the Near East, creating a wave of refugees that it doesn't know what to do with.” KnowsMadeOrderTurnsOpportunitySacrificeCreatingEuropeTradeInvestmentWaveChinaEastRussiaBombsOppositionSyriaRefugeeSanctionsNato Author:Michael Hudson
“It's amazing that Europe says, "What are we going to do with these refugees?" It's as if it doesn't realize that being part of NATO and bombing these countries forces them to choose to live by fleeing, or to stay and get bombed.” IfsCountryForceRealizingEuropeLive ByRefugeeBombingNatoFleeing Author:Michael Hudson
“We know that Donald Trump has shown a very troubling willingness to back up [Vladimir] Putin, to support Putin, whether it's saying that NATO wouldn't come to the rescue of allies if they were invaded, talking about removing sanctions from Russian officials after they were imposed by the United States and Europe together, because of Russia's aggressiveness in Crimea and Ukraine, his praise for Putin which is I think quite remarkable.” IfsThinkingKnowsStatesTogetherUnitedTalkingUnited StatesSupportTrumpEuropePraiseRussiaOfficialsRemarkableWillingnessAlliesRescuePutinUkraineSanctionsNatoAggressivenessCrimea Author:Hillary Clinton
“We need additional funding for more U.S. combat brigades in Europe. NATO needs to continue to modernize. It is starting to show with the Russians but these exercises are central to show that the alliance is firm, especially as the E.U. starts to have some weakness on the economic front.” NeedsShowsEconomicFrontsExerciseWeaknessEuropeStartingFirmCombatFundingAlliancesNato Author:Michael Leiter
“The US tactical nuclear weapons are in Europe, let us not forget this. Does it mean that the US has occupied Germany or that the US never stopped the occupation after World War II and only transformed the occupation troops into the NATO forces?” WorldMeanDoeWarForceForgetWeaponsEuropeNuclearWar Of The WorldsGermanyOccupationWorld War IiTransformedWorld War INuclear WeaponsTroopsNatoTactical Author:Vladimir Putin
“There used to be the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. There used to be Soviet troops in the GDR. And we must honestly admit that they were occupation troops, which remained in Germany after WWII under the guise of allied troops. Now these occupation troops are gone, the Soviet Union has collapsed, and the Warsaw Pact is no more. There is no Soviet threat, but NATO and U.S. troops are still in Europe. What for?” StillsUsedGoneEuropeUnionsThreatHonestlyUsed To BeGermanyOccupationSovietTroopsSoviet UnionWwiiNatoGuisePactWarsawWarsaw Pact Author:Vladimir Putin
“NATO and the USA wanted a complete victory over the Soviet Union. They wanted to sit on the throne in Europe alone.” WantedVictoryEuropeUnionsUsaSovietThronesSoviet UnionNato Author:Vladimir Putin
“President Bush Sr. and Secretary Baker, way back when, told Gorbachev, "We are not going to advance NATO into Eastern Europe. We're not going to - we're not going to advance NATO into East Germany, if you allow the unification of Germany." Where is that pledge? Where is the logic behind a military alliance, devised in the time of communism, before the Berlin Wall fell, now being in the Ukraine, in Poland, in Estonia, in Latvia and Lithuania? I don't understand.” IfsWayPresidentBehindsMilitaryWallEuropeLogicEastCommunismGermanySecretaryEasternPresident BushAlliancesPledgeUkraineBerlinBack WhenNatoPolandBakersEastern EuropeUnificationBerlin WallGorbachevEast GermanyEstoniaWay Back WhenLithuaniaLatvia Author:Rashid Khalidi
“In recent years, we`ve made historic investments in NATO, increased America`s presence in Europe.” YearsMadeAmericaEuropeInvestmentHistoricNato Author:Lawrence O'Donnell
“Our alliance with our NATO partners has been a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy for nearly 70 years, in good times and in bad and through presidents of both parties because the United States has a fundamental interest in Europe's stability and security.” YearsHas BeensStatesPresidentInterestUnitedPartyUnited StatesSecurityPolicyEuropeFundamentalsPartnersGood TimesStabilityForeign PolicyAlliancesNatoCornerstones Author:Barack Obama
“I believe a strong NATO has been the bulwark of our defence in Europe. Obviously that's important in the UK national interest and I believe it's important in the US national interest” BelieveHas BeensImportantStrongI BelieveInterestEuropeDefenceNatoNational Interests Author:Theresa May
“For fifty years, we heard NATO is necessary to save Western Europe from the Russian hordes, you know the slave state, stuff I was taking about. In 1990-91, no Russian hordes. Okay, what happens? Well there are actually visions of the future system that were presented. One was [Mikhail] Gorbachev. He called for a Eurasian security system, with no military blocs. He called it a Common European Home. No military blocs, no Warsaw Pact. Just an integrated security system with no conflicts.Now the other vision was presented by George Bush, this is the "statesman".” KnowsYearsWellsStatesHomeHappensStuffCommonVisionHeardSecurityMilitaryConflictEuropeOkaySlaveWesternFiftyStatesmenIntegratedNatoPactHordeWestern EuropeVisions Of The FutureGorbachevSecurity SystemsWarsawWarsaw Pact Author:Noam Chomsky
“Russia is a part of European culture. Therefore, it is with difficulty that I imagine NATO as an enemy.” CultureEnemyImagineEuropeDifficultyRussiaNato Author:Vladimir Putin
“We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe.” FunnyPoliticalPoliticsStupidFoolCommitmentEuropeWittyStupidityDumbFirmGoreNatoBushismFunny Bush Author:Dan Quayle
“You're thinking of Europe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's old Europe.” ThinkingEuropeFranceGermanyNatoCenter Of Gravity Author:Donald Rumsfeld
“It will be undertaken, of course, in the June or July summit, and then to bring NATO closer to Russia or vice versa is a way to move toward integration - toward the integration of Europe.” WayMovingCoursesEuropeVicesRussiaIntegrationSummitJuneJulyVice VersaNato Author:Warren Christopher
“You're thinking of Europe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's old Europe. If you look at the entire NATO Europe today, the center of gravity is shifting to the east. And there are a lot of new members. And if you just take the list of all the members of NATO and all of those who have been invited in recently -- what is it? Twenty-six, something like that? -- you're right. Germany has been a problem, and France has been a problem.” IfsThinkingLooksHas BeensProblemTodayMembersSixEuropeTwentiesEastListsFranceGermanyGravityInvitedShiftingNatoCenter Of Gravity Author:Donald Rumsfeld
“Let's not forget what the origin of the problem is. There is no place in modern Europe for ethnically pure states. That's a 19th century idea and we are trying to transition into the 21st century, and we are going to do it with multi-ethnic states.” TryingIdeasWarStatesProblemPoliticalForgetModernCenturyPureEuropeTransitionGenocide21st Century19th CenturyNatoUs ArmyWhite Genocide Author:Wesley Clark