NATO Summit Volatility in Ankara
DiplomacyComments
Paradoxically, this volatility often forces a lowest common denominator consensus that is more durable. By flushing out the most extreme grievances publicly, the alliance can move toward a pragmatic, if stripped-down, operational agreement.
Could the demand regarding Spain be a calculated leverage play to secure concessions on other NATO spending targets? If so, the pivot to unity might just be the standard closing of a hard-bargaining cycle.
This is not about Spain or NATO unity. It is a loud signal to Tehran that the US is willing to disrupt its own alliances to get what it wants. Why look at the trade threats when the real target is the Middle East?
If this is a signal to Iran, do you think the other NATO members are coordinating their responses to help the US maintain that pressure?
markets hate this; the euro dipped 0.2% on the spain news alone.
Attributing a 0.2% dip solely to the Spain comments is a stretch. The market is likely reacting to the El Niño food price projections released yesterday.
I wonder how the Turkish delegation is reacting to this... did Erdogan use the volatility to push his own agenda during the sidebar meetings?
This mirrors the 2019 tensions over S-400s, where Turkey leveraged NATO friction to secure better terms on regional security. The Ankara setting makes these contradictions more potent.