In the realm of defense, the alliance was not as advertised. The war in Ukraine, for all the talk of Europe stepping up, has left that asymmetry essentially untouched. Far from a costly charity program, NATO secures American influence in Europe on the cheap. Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, roughly half of European military spending went to American manufacturers. Yet already there are signs that NATO is making headway in getting Europe to follow its lead in the theater.

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Persons: — Organizations: NATO, European Union, U.S . Locations: Czech Republic, Prague, United States, Ukraine, Europe, U.S, Brussels, American, America, Washington, Germany, China, South China