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By Robert McRae
CIPS Policy Brief, May 2017

• Donald Trump’s remarks about NATO over the last year, as with so many other issues, have been both colourful and unpredictable. But his remarks about NATO have had the distinction of directly affecting the international security environment. Even the speed with which he has shifted positions has tended to undermine the fundamentals of deterrence which, for over a generation, have prevented war between the great powers. With the NATO Summit on 25 May 2017 in Brussels, there is an opportunity to get the US and its Allies back on the same page regarding collective defence and security. There is also the opportunity for Canada to take the lead on an issue that builds on our particular expertise in peace-building.

Rob McRae is an honorary Senior Fellow at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa.