Category Archives: NATO

Petro Poroshenko, president of Ukraine, speaks in Tokyo on April 6, 2016.

Ukraines parliament set NATO membership as a key foreign-policy goal, replacing the non-aligned status adopted by ousted Kremlin-backed President Viktor Yanukovych in a move thats likely to further sour relations with Russia.

A bill submitted by the ruling coalition was backed by 276 lawmakers in the 450-seat legislature Thursday in Kiev, the capital. President Petro Poroshenko wants to meet NATO entry requirements by 2020 and has promised to hold a referendum on joining.

The former Soviet republic sees NATO as a security guarantee after a second pro-European revolution in a decade poisoned ties with Russia, which later annexed Crimea and backed an insurgency across its neighbors border. Ukraine has also signed an Association Agreement with the European Union, though has no formal path to joining the worlds biggest trading bloc. Russia has opposed the two organizations eastward expansion.

Russian aggression against Ukraine and the annexation of Ukrainian territory have set an urgent task for Ukraine to ensure real national security, the authors of the legislation said. The most effective tool for the security, territorial integrity and sovereignty is collective security, the most effective of which is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

In response to NATO expansion toward its borders, Russia is taking steps to re-balance the situation and defend its security, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. Ukraine is a country in civil war and decisions on its membership are taken in Brussels and other capitals, he said.

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Thursdays move formalizes Ukraines efforts to join NATO after having a fast-track application rejected in 2008. The alliance has already absorbed 13 ex-communist nations, most recently Montenegro, which became its 29th member on June 5. Historic affinity to Russia soured its accession, with the Kremlin denying allegations it backed a failed coup attempt in October to overthrow the former Yugoslav republics pro-Western leadership.

NATO itself has faced questions about its future after the election of Donald Trump. The U.S. president has criticized some members for investing too little in their armies and failed during a recent trip to Europe to clearly state his commitment to the alliancescollective-defense pledge, known as Article 5.

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Ukraine Restores NATO Membership as Key Foreign Policy Goal - Bloomberg

Fulda was a small city in the German State of Hesse that, had it not been for the Cold War, few people outside of its immediate environs would ever have cause to hear of. Instead, the combined accidents of history and geography turned this quiet rural city into ground zero for a Third World War. The end of the Second World War found American troops situated well to the east of Fulda, having occupied all of Thuringia and western Saxony; both of these territories were subsequently added to the Soviet post-war zone of occupation, bringing the line of demarcation right to the foothills of the Thuringian highlands that dominate the eastern approaches to Fulda.

West of Fulda the hills turn into fertile plains that form a natural corridor the so-called Fulda Gap leading straight to Frankfurt, some 60 miles (95 kilometers) to the southwest, and the Rhine River beyond. These were not vast distances. 5,000 men of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and a screening force of around 150 tanks patrolled the Fulda frontier. Further west, along the approaches to Frankfurt, were the three armored brigades of the 3rd Armored Division, comprising another 15,000 men and 350 tanks. Some 30 miles southwest of Frankfurt, on the west bank of the Mainz River, were another 15,000 men of the 8th Mechanized Infantry Division and their 300 tanks. 35,000 men, 800 tanks, and thousands of other armored vehicles, artillery pieces and trucks this was all that stood between the Soviet Army and the Rhine River.

Facing off against this concentration of American combat power were two sizable Soviet formations. The first, the 8th Guards Army, consisting of an armored division and three motorized infantry divisions, comprising some 50,000 men and 1,200 tanks, was responsible for blasting a hole in the American defenses; behind it would come the 1st Guards Tank Army, another 35,000 men and 1,000 tanks whose mission was pursuit and exploitation of a defeated enemy to depths of up to 120 miles after the front was ruptured by initial assault force. A 1979 Soviet exercise allocated seven days for Soviet and Warsaw Pact troops to defeat American and NATO forces and reach the Rhine River; American plans for reinforcing Germany required ten days. Any conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States along the Fulda front would have been, from the outset, a race against time.

Fortunately, for Europe and the World, that race was never run. In 1990, as the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union came to a close, nearly 14,000 American main battle tanks were deployed on European soil, along with over 300,000 military personnel; another 250,000 American troops were ready to be flown in on short notice to marry up with pre-deployed equipment, including tanks, stored in various European depots. A decade later that number had been reduced to a few thousand tanks and 117,000 troops; by 2015 the number was zero tanks and 65,000 soldiers. The United States went from a posture of imminent preparedness for a war in Europe in 1990, to a situation where major ground conflict in Europe no longer factored in American military planning.

The 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team (BCT) of the 4th Infantry Division (the Iron Brigade) is one of the premier combat units in the United States Army today. One of 15 Armored BCTs in the army today, the Iron Brigades five maneuver battalions (two armor, one cavalry, one mechanized infantry and one artillery), comprising some 4,700 soldiers, 90 main battle tanks, 150 armored fighting vehicles, and 18 self-propelled artillery pieces, represent the greatest concentration of lethal firepower in an organized combat unit in the American military. In January 2017, this formidable fighting force was deployed from its home base in Fort Carson, Colorado, to Europe as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

Atlantic Resolve is an ongoing initiative on the part of the United States intended to reassure NATO that Americas commitment to collective security in Europe has not diminished in the face of Russian actions in the Ukraine since 2014, including Moscows annexation of the Crimea, an act that violates the principle of European national inviolability that has underpinned European security since 1945. Since 2015, the United States has conducted a series of military deployments and maneuvers designed to demonstrate Americas ability to back this commitment with meaningful military power. The deployment of the Iron Brigade represents the latest manifestation of this commitment, which involves a continued rotation of an armored BCT into Europe every nine months, creating a permanent American armored presence in Europe.

The officers of the Iron Brigade exude confidence in their mission. We are here to deter, the Brigade Commander, Colonel Christopher Norrie, told western media shortly after his arrival in Europe in January 2017. If I were looking at it through the eyes of a potential aggressor, I would say its an exceptionally capable deterrent. His subordinate commanders echoed Colonel Norries words, and confidence. We have been training for this mission for the last year, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Capehart, the commander of an armor battalion, the 1/68 Silver Lions, observed. I think it shows the agility of an armored brigade that can be able to push combat power forward, build it and get it out here firing within ten days.

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NATO Would Be Totally Outmatched In A Conventional War With ... - HuffPost

A rapid assault on the Baltic region would leave NATO with few attractive options, including a massive risky counterattack, threatening a nuclear weapons option or simply allowing the Russian to annex the countries.

One of the limited options cited in the study could include taking huge amounts of time to mobilize and deploy a massive counterattack force which would likely result in a drawn-out, deadly battle. Another possibility would be to threaten a nuclear option, a scenario which seems unlikely if not completely unrealistic in light of the U.S. strategy to decrease nuclear arsenals and discourage the prospect of using nuclear weapons, the study finds.

A third and final option, the report mentions, would simply be to concede the Baltic states and immerse the alliance into a much more intense Cold War posture. Such an option would naturally not be welcomed by many of the residents of these states and would, without question, leave the NATO alliance weakened if not partially fractured.

How much of a threat do Russia's emerging5th-generationstealth fighter, nuclear arsenal, high-tech air defenses, anti-satellite weapons, conventional army and submarines pose to NATO and the U.S.?

Current tensions between Russia and NATO are leading many to carefully assess this question and examine the current state of weaponry and technological sophistication of the Russian military -- with a mind to better understanding the extent of the kinds of threats they may pose.

Naturally, Russias military maneuvers and annexation of the Crimean peninsula have many Pentagon analysts likely wondering about and assessing the pace of Russia's current military modernization and the relative condition of the former Cold War military giants forces, platforms and weaponry.

Russia has clearly postured itself in response to NATO as though it can counter-balance or deter the alliance, however some examinations of Russias current military reveals questions about its current ability to pose a real challenge to NATO in a prolonged, all-out military engagement.

Nevertheless, Russia continues to make military advances and many Pentagon experts and analysts have expressed concern about NATO's force posture in Eastern Europe regarding whether it is significant enough to deter Russia from a possible invasion of Eastern Europe.

Also, Russias economic pressures have not slowed the countries commitment to rapid military modernization and the increase of defense budgets, despite the fact that the countrys military is a fraction of what it was during the height of the Cold War in the 1980s.

While the former Cold War giants territories and outer most borders are sizeably less than they were in the 1980s, Russias conventional land, air and sea forces are trying to expand quickly, transition into the higher-tech information age and steadily pursue next generation platforms.

Russias conventional and nuclear arsenal is a small piece of what it was during the Cold War, yet the country is pursuing a new class of air-independent submarines, a T-50 stealth fighter jet, next-generation missiles and high-tech gear for individual ground soldiers.

The National Interesthas recently published a number of reports about the technological progress now being made by Russian military developers. The various write-ups include reporting on new Russian anti-satellite weapons, T-14 Armata tanks, air defenses and early plans for a hypersonic, 6th-generation fighter jet, among other things. Russia is unambiguously emphasizing military modernization and making substantial progress, the reports from The National Interest and other outlets indicate.

For instance, Russia hasapparently conducted a successful test launch of its Nudoldirect ascent anti-satellite missile, according toThe National Interest.

"This is the second test of the new weapon, which is capable of destroying satellites in space. The weapon was apparently launched from the Plesetsk test launch facility north of Moscow," the report from The National Interest writes.

In addition,The National Interests'Dave Majumdar reported that Russian Airborne Forces plan six armored companies equipped with newly modifiedT-72B3Mtanks. Over the next two years, those six companies will be expanded to battalion strength, the report states.

Russia is also reportedly developing a so-called "Terminator 3" tank support fighting vehicle.

During the Cold War, the Russian defense budget amounted to nearly half of the countrys overall expenditures.

Now, the countries military spending draws upon a smaller percentage of its national expenditure. However, despite these huge percentage differences compared to the 1980s, the Russian defense budget is climbing again. From 2006 to 2009, the Russian defense budget jumped from $25 billion up to $50 billion according to Business Insider and the 2013 defense budget is listed elsewhere at $90 billion.

Overall, the Russian conventional military during the Cold War in terms of sheer size was likely five times what it is today.

The Russian military had roughly 766,000 active front line personnel in 2013 and as many as 2.4 million reserve forces, according toglobalfirepower.com. During the Cold War, the Russian Army had as many as three to four million members.

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If Russia and NATO Went to War Would It Go Nuclear (And Kill Millions)? - The National Interest Online (blog)

Rep. Lou Correa introduced bill to protect U.S. and NATO allies from Russian cyberattacks.

Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., introduced a bill that seeks to improve America and its NATO allies' abilities to defend against Russian cyberattacks.

The "Enhanced Partner Cyber Capabilities Act" would direct the President to specifically develop offensive cyber capability strategies and information and method sharing with our NATO allies.

The act calls for the Department of Defense to update its cyberstrategy, draft strategy for offensive cyber capabilities, and authorize international cooperation by helping NATO partners improve their cyber capabilities.

The bill states the Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime is actively working to erode democratic systems of NATO member states including the U.S.

"World War III is raging right now in cyber space, Rep. Correa said. With the increased frequency of cyber-attacks executed by foreign advisories we must increase our investments into securing our networks.

Rep. Correa said his bill will help prevent advisories from engaging in the types of cyber-espionage we saw during the past election and that protecting our networks is vital to privacy and the health of our democracy.

If passed the bill calls for action no later than 180 days after the bill is enacted.

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Congressman proposes bill to strengthen US and NATO cyber abilities against Russia - SC Magazine

The European Union launched a new defense fund Wednesday designed to alleviate funding concerns put forth by President Donald Trump and bolster the region against perceived Russian aggression.

The initiative, called the European Defense Fund, is headed by the European Commission, one of seven organizations that manage the EU, and is intended "to help member states spend taxpayer money efficiently, reduce duplications and get better value for money," according to a post featured onthe European Commission's official Twitter account. The decision comes after repeated demands by Trump that the U.S.'s European allies contribute more to Western military alliance NATO, which includes most of the EU and has undergone a major arms buildup in response to what it considers to be a growing regional threat by Russia.

Related:Putin Warns U.S.-Russia Nuclear War Would Leave No Survivors

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An official statement by the European Commission detailed plans for the EU to provide$560 million for defense "development and acquisition" in 2019 and 2020, with that figure projected to reach more than $1 billion by 2020 and possibly expand to $5 billion per year in the years that follow.

"People across Europe are worried about their and their children's security. Complementing our cooperation with NATO, we need to do more and better ourselves. Today we are showing that we walk the talk," said Jyrki Katainen, European Commission Vice President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, according to the statement. "The Fund will act as a catalyst for a strong European defense industry which develops cutting-edge, fully interoperable technologies and equipment. Member states will remain in the driving seat, get better value for their moneyand ultimately see their influence increased."

European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen holds a news conference on the European Defense Action Plan in Brussels, Belgium November 30, 2016. The European Commission launched the European Defense Fund in response to criticisms by President Donald Trump of NATO members' financial contributions to regional defense and what EU and NATO perceive as a growing military threat posed by Russia, June 7, 2017. Eric Vidal/Reuters

"Europe must become a security provider.The fund will support collaborative research in defense and the joint development of defense capabilities," Commissioner ElbietaBiekowskasaid in the statement. "It will, therefore, be a game-changer for the EU's strategic autonomy and the competitiveness of Europe's defense industry including the many SMEs and mid-cap companies forming the European defense supply chain."

The statement also outlined EU plans to allocate more than $100 million to the fund for research until 2019 with proposals coming next year to boost this figure to more than $562 million per year. Such a move would result in the EU becoming "one of the biggest defense research investors in Europe," according to the statement." Over $28 million has already been designated for research by the end of this year.

The inception of the fund can be traced back to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's 2016 state of the union speech, in which the former prime minister of Luxembourg proposed the creation of a European Defense Action Plan. Juncker reiterated his support for this concept Wednesday, echoing comments made last month by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She stated that the EU could no longer depend on the U.S. and the U.K., which voted last year to exit the EU, for defense cooperation.

"For too long we have relied too much on the military power of others," Juncker said Wednesday, according to Deutsche Welle. "We must now seize the moment to take charge of our own security. We owe this to our fellow Europeans."

Along with the U.S., a number of European nations have accused Russia of interfering in foreign politics and of threatening regional stability with its military. Since Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from neighboring Ukraine in 2014, NATO and Russia have undergone dueling military buildups with each faction accusing the other of crossing lines that could instigate a conflict. Russia has defended its 2014 move by arguing political upheaval in Ukraine threatened the sizeable ethnic Russian community in Crimea, but both Russia and NATO forces have since sent tens of thousands of troops along with nuclear-capable missiles and other armaments to their mutual borders.

Analysts have predicted that the European Defense Fund may be a precursor to a more comprehensive European defense union that would operate alongside NATO. While the union would not likely constitute a unified, pan-European military force, it would reportedly focus on further integrating the defense infrastructure of the EU's 28 member states separate from the U.S.-dominated NATO.

"EU progress on this front in recent months has focused on establishing an EU defense fund and aiming to centralize procurement strategy. A possible future defense union would go furtherit could necessitate a joint, centralized defense industrial strategy, sharing of member state 'strategic' defense assets, and perhaps even a level of autonomy from NATO," Aarti Shankar, political analyst at U.K.-based liberal think tank Open Europe, told CNBC via email.

In a separate development from Wednesday's launch of the European Defense Fund, the U.S. announced that same day that it would partner with 23 other nations to hold a massive military exercise in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania next month. The U.S.'s European Command said that this year's "Saber Guardian" exercises would be "larger in both scale and scope" than previous drills held annually since 2013, according to Reuters. Later this summer, Russia is preparing its own large-scale, multinational military drills called Zapad, or "West," which will simulate a NATO invasion.

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EU Launches Own Defense Against Russia, Responding to Trump NATO Funding Comments - Newsweek

TORONTO Canadas defense chief announced Wednesday that the country plans to sharply increase its military budget following pressure from the Trump administration to bolster spending.

Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said military spending will grow 70 percent to reach $32.7 billion Canadian ($24.1 billion) in a decade. That means Canada would spend about 1.4 percent of gross domestic product on defense by 2026-27, up from about 1.2 percent now.

U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that NATOs member countries increase their spending on defense forces. The U.S. accounts for more than 70 percent of all NATO military spending. Only Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland now meet the NATO goal of spending at least 2 percent of GDP on defense.

U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said he was heartened by Canadian policy.

The United States welcomes Canadas marked increase in investment in their military and their continued commitment to a strong defense relationship with the United States and NATO, Mattis said in a statement.

This new defense policy demonstrates Canadian resolve to build additional military capacity and a more capable fighting force. In light of todays security challenges around the world, its critical for Canadas moral voice to be supported by the hard power of a strong military.

Sajjan said the added money is designed to make sure Canada is a reliable and credible partner.

The plan calls for 5,000 additional military personnel, 15 new warships and 88 new fighter jets, the latter up from a planned 65 announced by the previous government.

If were serious about our role in the world, we must be serious about funding our military, Sajjan said. And we are.

Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau called it a sovereign decision by his government. The announcement comes a day after Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada would increase military spending because Canada can no longer rely on Washington for global leadership.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he was pleased with Canadas move.

I warmly welcome Canadas new defense policy and the major planned investments, Stoltenberg said in a statement. This new policy affirms Canadas unwavering commitment to NATO and will ensure Canada has the armed forces and key capabilities that the Alliance needs.

Canada has about 800 military personnel in the international mission against the Islamic State group, but removed its fighter jets after Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal Party government was elected in late 2015. Canada also has about 200 troops in the Ukraine and 220 in Poland.

Associated Press writers Lolita Baldor in Washington and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.

2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Trump's NATO comments paying off as Canada vows to increase military spending - GOPUSA

BRUSSELS -- NATO welcomed Montenegro as its newest member with a flag-raising ceremony at the Western alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

"NATO is an alliance of democracies, united by a single purpose: to stand with each other and defend each other," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on June 7, calling it a "historic day."

"Montenegro joins NATO as an equal, with a seat at our table, and an equal voice in shaping the future of the alliance," said Stoltenberg, who congratulated Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic and the people of the Balkan country "for everything you have achieved."

"Montenegro's accession sends a message to other states that seek membership: that if a country travels the path of reform, embraces democracy, and the rule of law and proves itself willing to and able to contribute to our collective defense, sharing the responsibilities as well as the rewards, then it, too, can join the alliance," Stoltenberg said.

Vujanovic described the event as "a great day for Montenegro."

"With NATO membership, our future will be stable, secure, and prosperous," he said. "And we will make decisions about the most important issues within the strongest, most organized, and most efficient alliance in the history of mankind."

Russia has criticized accession for the Adriatic coastal state, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asserting on June 6 that Montenegro was "dragged into NATO" and his ministry saying Moscow reserves the right to take "retaliatory measures" on what it called "anti-Russian hysteria" there.

Montenegrin officials have charged 14 people in connection with an alleged Russia-backed plot to take over parliament in October and assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic in a bid to keep the country out of NATO.

Montenegro became NATO's 29th member at a ceremony in Washington on June 5.

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NATO Welcomes Newest Member Montenegro - RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

The government of Canada put up some big numbers on Wednesday as it unveiled its new defence policy.

But there was one number conspicuously missing.

Even with a huge boost in military spending planned over the next decade (some of it back-loaded), Canada will still fall short of spending two per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on national defence by 2024-25.

READ MORE:Canada to use armed drones, cyberattacks to respond to global security threats

The documents released Wednesday predict that by that year, spending as a percentage of GDP will sit at only 1.4 per cent.

While defence spending is an important part of ensuring appropriate defence capability, it is not the most effective measure of fair burden sharing, the policy reads.

It then cites Canadas involvement in ongoing NATO missions and readiness to deploy and sustain troops if needed as examples of other ways that the country contributes to the alliance.

Canada has no formal obligation to hit the two-per-cent benchmark. In 2014, NATO members simply agreed to work toward that spending objective over the next decade and technically, Ottawa is fulfilling that obligation by moving the needle.

WATCH: Defence spending to increase by 70 per cent by 2027

Recent estimates have put the current spending level at just over 0.9 per cent, one of the lowest numbers for any NATO member nation.

But the government said Wednesday thats not quite accurate. The estimate ignores defence-related spending in other departments, according to the documents, so the actual number for 2016-17 is 1.19 per cent of GDP. The injection of new money over the next nine years will then push it to 1.4 per cent, the Liberals maintain.

Realistically that number is actually 1.2 (per cent) if you didnt change the formula (and include other departments), said Dave Perry, a senior analyst with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

To give them credit they spelled all that out, those changes, and you can see all that detail.

NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg released a statement Wednesday praising Canadas major planned investments and unwavering commitment to NATO.

In these challenging times, Canadas commitment to the alliance is important as we work to keep our nations safe and NATO strong, Stoltenberg wrote.

Still, the long-awaited plan unveiled in Ottawa by Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan may not be enough to appease individual NATO allies especially the United States.

Over the last several months, the White House has made it clear that America will scale back its considerable investments in the alliance if countries like Canada dont make more of an effort to reach the two-per-cent benchmark.

U.S. President Donald Trump went so far as to give his nations allies a public dressing down during recent meetings in Brussels.

WATCH: Donald Trump lectures Canada, other NATO members to up defence spending

There was also criticism on Wednesday from new Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, who told reporters that he would be on the lookout for accounting tricks that inflate defence spending by lumping in items thathavent normally been counted in defence spending.

Traditionally things like, you know, border services border security, Coast Guard some of the intelligence work that goes on in the RCMP, Scheer said outside the House of Commons.

READ MORE:Canada deploys alternate numbers to defuse NATO defence spending situation

If those are the types of things that theyve now lumped in without actually putting in new dollars, I dont think thats a real commitment to the armed forces.

Defence expert Perry said he was personally surprised by how much effort the government put into spelling out where Canada stands and will stand on the NATO commitment. He called it a little disingenuous.

For a government that kept saying that that formula is irrelevant, that theres other measures (for involvement), they sure went into a lot of detail to spell out exactly that formula and where we stack up, Perry said.

-With files from Vassy Kapelos.

2017Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Even with new military investments, Canada to fall short of NATO target - Globalnews.ca

While Donald Trump was still a candidate running for president, many of his supporters defended both his lack of experience in politics and his ever-more-bizarre behavior by asserting that once he became president, he would surround himself with the best minds and carefully listen to their wisdom.

Well, a disturbing new report from Politico pretty much debunks that prediction.

Just over a week ago, Trump gave an embarrassing speech at a NATO summit in Brussels, using his allotted time to shed scorn on the leaders of our closest European allies over ultimately petty and arbitrary disagreements about the NATO defense budget.

The most important aspect of the speech however was not what he said, but rather what he didnt say. Trump refused to reaffirm the United States commitment to the mutual defense of all member states, outlined in Article 5 of the NATO charter. This came as a surprise and a disappointment to many of our European allies, particularly because of the threat Eastern European members face from an emboldened Russia under Vladimir Putin.

But, according to the Politico report, it turns out that the European leaders gathered for the summit were not the only ones who were surprised by Trumps omission. Five sources with direct knowledge of what happened said that national security adviser H.R. McMaster, Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ALL wanted Trump to show support for Article 5 in his speech and were totally blindsided when he didnt.

McMaster, Mattis and Tillerson had all worked with Trump on the speech in the weeks leading up to the trip and believed that a show of support for Article 5 would be included in the speech. A White House aid even told a New York Times reporter a day before the speech that a line about Article 5 would definitely be included.

But somehow, by the time of the speech, Trump had decided to axe any mention of Article 5, and instead showed disdain for NATO as in institution throughout his speech.

According to the sources cited by Politico, Trump made the decision seemingly on a whim without consulting any of his advisors, who were never even informed about his change of plans.

While McMaster, Mattis and Tillerson are by no means progressives, once again were learning that relatively, theyre acting as a moderating influence in this ever-more-radical administration.

This is actually one of the biggest stories of the last couple of weeks because of the potentially enormous consequences of having this much dysfunction amongst our top national security officials. Seriously weakening the institutional credibility of NATO on a whim is bad enough. Can you imagine if there were a real, direct security crisis with this level of dysfunction and incompetence going on?

This revelation also suggests that that no matter how hard the adults in the room try to babysit him, Trumps whacky and erratic mood swings end up playing a major role in policy decision making. Needless to say, thats terrifying.

Start your workday the right way with the news that matters most.

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UNHINGED: Trump blindsided his own national security team in NATO Speech - HuffPost

Vice President Mike Pence expressed U.S. commitment to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Monday at an Atlantic Council awards ceremony honoring NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

"Make no mistake, our commitment is unwavering," Pence said. "We will meet our obligations to our people to provide for the collective defense of all of our allies....An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us."

The clause has only been triggered once, following the attacks on 9/11.

"A strong NATO is vitally important, especially in these trying times," Pence said.

Play Video

Associated Press reporter Ken Thomas breaks down President Trump's message to world leaders at the NATO summit in Brussels.

Pence's remarks came weeks after President Trump, in his own recent speech before NATO leaders, did not explicitly mention Article 5 and instead called on NATO's European members to spend more on defense.

While he was a presidential candidate, Mr. Trump often talked about reforming NATO.

"NATO was set up at a different time," then-candidate Trump said. "NATO was set up when we were a richer country. We're not a rich country anymore. We're borrowing, we're borrowing all of this money...NATO is costing us a fortune and yes, we're protecting Europe with NATO but we're spending a lot of money. Number one, I think the distribution of costs has to be changed. I think NATO as a concept is good, but it is not as good as it was when it first evolved."

However, on Sunday, Stoltenbergappeared on CBS News' "Face the Nation" and suggested Mr. Trump's criticism had been helpful, in sending a "clear message about the need for increased defense spending across Canada and Europe."

"And a good thing is that the European Allies now understand that we have to invest more in defense, not only to please the United States, but because it is in the interest of Europe to invest more in security because we live in a more dangerous world," Stoltenberg said.

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Pence: US commitment to NATO "is unwavering" - CBS News