For years, U.S. presidents have complained that the members of NATO refuse to kick in as much as American taxpayers do in providing for Europe's defense. Let us hope President Trump succeeds in his efforts to nudge them to pay their fair share. It's time for these very wealthy nations to pull their weight.

NATO is a 28-nation alliance that was built to stop aggression from the Soviet Union in its tracks. An attack on any one member is regarded as an attack on all.

It was founded when Europe was still trying to dig out from World War II. Those days are gone. But NATO members have found it easier to play America for a sucker than to fund their own defense.

NATO members have pledged to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense. The United States leads its members far and away by committing 3.6 percent of its GDP on defense, a good deal of it to protect the Western world from threats.

Besides the United States, only four countries have met their commitment to 2 percent: Britain, Poland, Estonia and Greece. That means 23 NATO members are failing to carry their weight. The list includes such economic giants as France (1.78 percent), Germany (1.19 percent) and Canada (.99 percent).

Last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis delivered an ultimatum at a defense ministers meeting in Brussels: The United States will scale back its commitment to NATO unless other nations pull their weight.

"No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defense of Western values," Mattis said. "Americans cannot care more for your children's future security than you do."

Unfortunately, Trump's foolish and blustering remarks during his campaign and before he took office tended to muddy this message, leaving Europe with the sense that he wants the United States to retreat from NATO, an idea that could only have the Russians salivating.

In an interview with the Times of London and the German newspaper Bild before he took office, Trump branded NATO obsolete.

Not exactly. NATO forces aided Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan and are now assisting in the effort to bring down the Islamic State group.

NATO is also vitally important in keeping Russia from expanding further into Europe, after seizing Crimea and parts of Ukraine. A strong NATO must not permit Russia to expand its influence.

This rebalancing of NATO commitments cannot occur overnight. But the warning has gone out to European nations to shift their budgeting priorities if they want the United States to retain its full commitment to NATO. Since the United States remains the powerful military force on the globe, European states would be foolhardy to give up its protection for the sake of failing to kick in a little more to defend themselves.

That would only be fair. Let us hope the Trump administration holds firm on this issue.

REPRINTED FROM THE PANAMA CITY NEWS HERALD

DISTRIBUTEDY BY CREATORS.COM