Russia Helping U.S. Reassert Dominance In European Security

The crisis in Ukraine is threatening to become a new war at the gates of Europe. But the threat has yielded political dividends for the US as NATO's supremacy is reasserted and Nord Stream 2 is on the verge of collapse, Deutsche Welle (DW) reported late on its Conflict Zone section.

Photo Insert: German Air Force Tornado fighter-bombers sit parked on the flight line at Los Llanos Air Base in Albacete, Spain. The Tactical Leadership Programme has been called NATO's "Top Gun."

On Friday morning, China and Russia called in a joint declaration for a halt to NATO expansion, as both governments continue to freely offer every country in their respective orbits some of the most powerful arguments in decades to sign up to the alliance.

Case in point for their arguments is one of Russia's neighbors — no, not Ukraine — but Finland. Historically, the country has been a cautious player in a very sensitive geopolitical theater; public opposition among Finns to their country joining NATO had never dropped below 53%, not even in the wake of Russia's 2014 invasion and annexation of Crimea.

But the distant drums of war on the Russian-Ukrainian border have brought about a most dramatic change in outlook since the annexation. A study just released by the think tank Toivo for the polling agency Kantar found that in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, 60% of Finns would support joining NATO.

The same trend has been recorded among the Swedish public‚ and given the closeness of military cooperation between the two Scandinavian countries, analysts believe that membership for one of the two would automatically mean the other also signing up.

It would seem that Moscow's overt threat of political and military action against Sweden and Finland has had little effect on their nations' outlook on collective defense.

Wittingly or unwittingly, Russian President Vladimir Putin's adventures on his country's border with Ukraine have offered those committed to the expansion of NATO not only an excellent foil but a powerful catalyst capable of aligning public opinion.

Indeed, the Kremlin has furnished its traditional antagonists the opportunity to reassert the vital importance of establishing mechanisms of defense and deterrence against Russia.

At a time when a unified and clear response was needed, the bloc simply could not muster one.

The crisis has not only served to illustrate that the US is still the only reliable actor leading any viable defense mechanism in Europe, but perhaps more importantly and more painfully to European actors interested in a self-reliant EU, it has helped to reassert the preeminence of NATO above and beyond any dreams of European military union.

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