Mohammed Soliman
Starting Tuesday, the grand halls of Washington are hosting a gathering of NATO leaders, marking the 75th anniversary of the most consequential military alliance in modern history. Yet, its celebratory mood may be overshadowed by a stark reality: NATO is a shadow of its Cold War self. The war in Ukraine, while presenting an opportunity for some sort of NATO renewal in terms of purpose, capabilities, and even membership with the inclusion of Finland and Sweden, has also highlighted the limitations of the alliance. Today, as NATO gathers in Washington, a profound question hangs heavy in the air: can this relic of a bipolar world adapt to the fractured geopolitics of the 21st century, or will it crumble, a monument to a bygone era?
European critics point a finger at NATO's excessive dependence on American muscle. This imbalance is a direct result of Europe's anemic investment in the alliance, which has left the U.S. to shoulder the lion's share of the responsibility. Following the Soviet Union's demise, NATO's prime antagonist vanished. The brutal Balkan Wars of the 1990s laid bare a clear difference between American decisiveness and European hesitation. The U.S. led the charge in forming a powerful NATO intervention force. Between its troop deployments, air power, and logistical support, the U.S. made the dominant contribution to the operation in the Balkans, a region strategically important to European stability. While European allies participated, their contributions were significantly smaller.
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