[Excerpt:] How the world should brace for Trump 2.0
"Many leaders in Europe and NATO had already been discussing ways to achieve 'strategic autonomy' — that is, ending their reliance on the United States for security. The majority of NATO’s 32 members have significantly increased their defense spending since 2022, so now only a few nations are failing to meet the target of 2 percent of gross domestic product. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine also brought the threat of a revanchist Russia to NATO’s doorstep. But mostly, the talk of European 'security autonomy' has remained just talk. Mr. Trump’s re-ascendance should focus minds and bring a new sense of urgency to building European self-sufficiency and bolstering Ukraine. ...
Mr. Trump has voiced skepticism about continued U.S. financing for Ukraine’s defensive war against Russia and has pledged to end the conflict swiftly, which most take to mean granting territorial concessions to Russia. If Mr. Trump stops further assistance to Kyiv, the Europeans would struggle to plug the gap, with their budgets already stretched and their weapons stockpiles low. In his remaining weeks in office, President Joe Biden should ship as much military hardware as possible to Ukraine. ..."
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