After Germany's withdrawal, the Netherlands also left: not surrendering, but NATO has more big moves coming

Following Germany, the Netherlands also withdrew.

On Monday local time, the Dutch Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying that two officers sent to Greenland for exercises had completed their tasks and were on their way back. Their main mission was to provide operational and logistical expertise for reconnaissance operations, which is theoretical guidance.

The Dutch denied that this move was a surrender to the United States, stating that it was just the beginning, and there are bigger moves coming next. The next step will be for NATO to discuss larger-scale deployments, such as establishing "NATO Sentinels." This was a concept previously proposed by Europe, with a rough framework of forming a task force specifically to protect the Arctic region.

NATO Secretary General Rutte also said that the situation is becoming increasingly pessimistic, and taking the next step is imminent. The core issues must be resolved.

These words were perfectly worded, not explicitly stating which side NATO would take, nor criticizing Trump's ambitions, since both the US and Denmark are NATO members, supporting one side would inevitably offend the other, ultimately affecting NATO's internal unity.

Just a day before the Netherlands announced its withdrawal, a group of 15 Germans had already boarded a plane back home, setting an example for other European countries. Being the first to take the initiative requires courage, but once someone leads, others can follow without hesitation.

As for larger-scale deployments, it's best to take it with a grain of salt. After Trump raised the tariff bar, Europe even dared not continue military exercises in Greenland, let alone gather and deploy forces or confront the US military directly.

In this world, what's more ridiculous than Europe's determination is Europe's greater determination. When Europe resists, netizens want to laugh.

It is worth noting that during World War II, when facing German attacks, Denmark only resisted for 4 hours before declaring surrender, and ultimately France bore all the burden.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1854819181453383/

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