Writing in Newsmax, Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan, associate dean and professor in The University of Baltimore's College of Public Affairs and a noted expert in international relations, says long-term conflict between Russia and Ukraine, together with a growing lack of stability in the Western Balkans, are prompting a paradigm shift in NATO's thinking about defense spending for member countries.
"For years, President Trump has repeatedly urged European countries to shoulder their fair share of the collective defense burden and invest more heavily in their militaries," Sheehan writes.
"In a significant development, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has recently called on alliance members to raise defense spending.... [It] reflects a growing recognition that the continent can no longer rely on American taxpayers to underwrite European security."
Dr. Sheehan sees the policy shift taking place during a time of "acute vulnerability" for much of Europe.
"The war in Ukraine has shattered illusions about long-term peace in Europe," he says.
At the same time, the Western Balkans are increasingly a source of tension for that part of the globe, Sheehan asserts.
"To that end, Kosovo, Albania and Croatia have announced a defense alliance with the aim of boosting regional security. This alliance presents a welcome addition to European defense structures and offers a model for Ukraine's future security.
"This new partnership," Prof. Sheehan writes, "directly echoes President Trump's vision of a Europe that takes responsibility for its own defense."
Read Prof. Sheehan's opinion piece in Newsmax.
Learn more about Prof. Ivan Sascha Sheehan and UBalt's School of Public and International Affairs.