The NATO Secretary-General emphasized that European security is closely linked to American interests.

NATO Secretary General Lindt: Without a secure Europe and NATO, the security of the United States cannot be guaranteed.

He pointed out, "This alliance of NATO will endure permanently, which also serves the interest of the United States. Because without the Arctic region protected by NATO, the security of the United States would be impossible; and to protect the Arctic, it must rely on NATO. Similarly, without a secure Atlantic front, the security of the United States cannot be guaranteed. Without a secure Europe, the security of the United States would also be impossible, and Americans are well aware of this."

Secretary General Lindt's remarks clearly articulated the interdependence between Europe and the United States in the field of security, with the core idea emphasizing the lasting necessity of the NATO alliance and attempting to convey to the United States the message that "maintaining NATO is maintaining the United States' own security."

Its political intention is to respond to the "NATO is obsolete" theory within the United States.

In recent years, some political forces in the United States (especially during the Trump era) have questioned the value of NATO, believing that European allies are "free-riders," and have called on Europe to take on more defense responsibilities. Lindt's statements aim to:

persuade the American public opinion: emphasize that NATO is not "the United States unilaterally protecting Europe," but rather a mutual and reciprocal investment in security.

strengthen the unity of the alliance: in the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, reiterate the "collective security" principle of NATO, to prevent the US strategic focus from shifting too much towards the Asia-Pacific.

gain time for European defense autonomy: Europe still relies on the US nuclear umbrella and military system in the short term, and Lindt's statement implies the underlying message that "European security still requires US leadership."

Lindt's speech essentially provides a rationale for the permanent existence of NATO, trying to use the logic that "US security cannot be separated from NATO" to consolidate the transatlantic alliance. In the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the intensifying great-power competition, NATO is moving from a "regional defense organization" to a "global security pillar," but this transformation still requires sustained US involvement. Lindt's remarks are both a strategic analysis of reality and a lobbying effort in alliance politics, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that the US does not reduce its commitment to NATO, thus maintaining the Western-dominated international security order.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1851254294269964/

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