Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
A sovereign state or nation is a country whose government has a supreme authority over its population and territory. No other nation or entity has authority over a sovereign nation or controls its territory.
As of 2024, there are 32 member states in NATO. At times, while reading headlines, one could think that NATO is some sort of sovereign government, unto itself.
An example of this is the story that NATO is considering taking control of the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group and establish a 5-year aid package to Ukraine worth more than $100 billion.
NATO Sec. Gen. Jens Stoltenberg recently pitched the idea to the allies noting, “Every day of delay in the decision in the United States on providing more support to Ukraine has consequences on the battlefield. So, we have a responsibility as NATO allies to take the decisions and to ensure that the Ukrainians get the ammunition they must have to be able to continue to push back the Russian invaders.”
News stories covering NATO’s scheme indicate that a major concern appears to be the fear that Donald Trump will win a second term as U.S. president.
Trump has indicated he would cut aid to Ukraine and also broker a peace deal with Russia. Taking over the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and establishing the $100 billion aid package are an attempt to “Trump-proof” aid for Ukraine should Trump be elected.
As a thought experiment, substitute “U.S. president-proofing” for “Trump-proofing,” because that, in effect, is what is being proposed. Future U.S. presidents may not be so enthralled with the idea that they can be eliminated from decision making so easily.
As I have written many times, the leadership of NATO is determined by the United States. No secretary general can be appointed without the approval of the U.S. The idea that Stoltenberg would float the proposal of “Trump-proofing” without approval from people who put him in his position is preposterous.
Also, since NATO doesn’t have $100 billion, they would have to get it from the U.S. How’s that happen?
NATO is not a sovereign state. Ukraine is not a member of NATO. NATO has no responsibility to ensure that a non-NATO member has the necessary armaments to continue conducting hostile action against anyone.
Should NATO members, on their own, desire to provide support to non-NATO members, they should feel free to do so, without invoking NATO.
Rube Render is a former Clovis city commissioner and former chair of the Curry County Republican Party. Contact him:
