Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\tRussia bids farewell to INF Treaty with fresh nuclear development plans<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Freed of its obligations under the INF Treaty, Moscow is wasting no time in developing new, once-prohibited weapons systems.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n
Europe \u201ccan’t expect to be surrounded by pacifists who write nice letters to each other,\u201d Ischinger said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officials in Germany are expected to continue their dance around an unpredictable relationship with the Trump administration, according to the report. That is, they acknowledge the need to remain on Washington\u2019s good side for military protection while at the same time preparing for the possibility that America under Trump may pull its support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs a result, many European governments have been walking a thin line, trying to preserve Option A, while hedging and investing in Option B without making Option A less likely,\u201d states the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conference this year comes only weeks after the United States and Russia declared their withdrawals from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a sore point especially for Germany that will likely be a prominent topic in Munich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some analysts here believe that the treaty’s demise will animate eastern European NATO members within the range of once-forbidden Russian missiles, such as Poland, to seek security guarantees from the United States outside the alliance’s umbrella of collective defense. Such moves could further drive a wedge into NATO cohesion at a time when Russia appears to be actively looking for weak spots in its neighborhood with the West, the thinking goes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, the report authors believe there a limits to would-be adversaries organizing an effective counterpoint to U.S.-led Western order. \u201cAlthough China and Russia have developed all sorts of measures to influence other states or have tried to undermine Western cohesion, they have not been able to build large, supportive coalitions by themselves \u2013 and are unlikely to do so in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That dynamic should put the United States and Europe somewhat at ease, were it not for the U.S. president’s record of dinging America’s friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor long-time transatlantic allies, it is still hard to stomach when Trump praises illiberal leaders from Brazil to the Philippines and defies his intelligence agencies in declaring his support for Saudi Arabia after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, while reserving his harshest criticism for Canada, Germany, or the European Union,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thirty ships from 12 different nations form up for a family photo from the annual exercise Baltic Operations on June 9. Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States all participated in the photo. (Justin Stumberg\/U.S. Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>A sailor takes in the view from the front of the U.S. Navy destroyer Bainbridge as the ship is positioned for a photo exercise during BALTOPS 2018 on June 9. (Theron J. Godbold\/U.S. Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>A U.S. Marine Corps M1A1 Abrams tank attached to Tank Platoon, Fox Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit takes on a night operation in Poland as part of NATO’s BALTOPS 2018 exercise. (Dengrier M. Baez\/U.S. Marine Corps)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Bainbridge fires its 5-inch gun during naval surface fire support for BALTOPS 2018 on June 7. (Theron J. Godbold\/U.S. Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>A U.S. Marine Corps M1A1 Abrams tank participates in a live-fire target exercise during BALTOPS 2018 on June 9. (Adam C. Stapleton\/U.S. Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>The view of the BALTOPS fleet from inside the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Bainbridge, as captured June 9. (Theron J. Godbold\/U.S. Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>Try to keep dry! A U.S. Marine Corps Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement attached to Combat Logistics Battalion 26, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit drives on shore during exercise BALTOPS 2018 at Ustka, Poland, on June 7. (Dengrier M. Baez\/U.S. Marine Corps)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>Keeping up foreign relations: A U.S. Marine shows off the M4A1 carbine rifle to Romanian marines taking part in a BALTOPS operation in Kairai, Lithuania, on June 4. (Dengrier M. Baez\/U.S. Marine Corps)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>A Spanish Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon simulates close-air support during a BALTOPS 2018 scenario at Ustka, Poland, on June 7. (Dengrier M. Baez\/U.S. Marine Corps)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>A big part of BALTOPS is focused on developing ties between allies, but sometimes, national pride still wins out. Here, U.S. sailors assigned to the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship Mount Whitney hold an American flag after winning a captain\u2019s cup sports tournament June 2 in Lithuania. (James Decker\/U.S. Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/a> <\/a> <\/a>