| Summary/Abstract |
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES Donald Trump called NATO an obsolete organization and demanded that the European allies should contribute bigger "fair shares" to European security. This includes, among other things, total fulfillment of their obligation to steadily raise their share of military expenditures up to 2% of their GDPs. This caused consternation among the European leaders and the fears that America's role and guarantees would be eroded, transatlantic unity weakened and the role of NATO undermined. Trump's unconditional acceptance of Brexit as the Brits' wise move fanned doubts in the new American administration's wholehearted devotion to the strategic alliance with Europe/EC and its ability to remain NATO's responsible leader.
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