Front Burner Can NATO survive Trump?
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Jan 27, 2026 Aaron Ettinger, a political science professor at Carleton University who studies international security and transatlantic relations, walks through NATO’s history and its changing missions. He discusses early Cold War crises, post‑Soviet enlargement, Afghanistan versus Iraq divisions, Russia’s 2014 resurgence, and how recent U.S. actions and Greenland tensions strain transatlantic trust.
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Origins: NATO As Psychological And Strategic Glue
- NATO emerged largely to restore Western European confidence and coordinate U.S. support after WWII.
- Aaron Ettinger explains its foundation combined psychological reassurance, Marshall Plan investment, and containment policy.
NATO Reinvented As Political Actor
- NATO evolved from a loose defense pact into a political forum by the late 1960s.
- Aaron Ettinger notes it broadened to include political engagement and international roles beyond pure defense.
Post‑Cold War Purpose: Peacekeeping And Intervention
- After the Soviet collapse NATO sought new purposes and expanded into peacekeeping and crisis intervention.
- Aaron Ettinger links Bosnia and Kosovo operations to NATO's post‑Cold War agenda shift.