Rubio lashes out at Nato partners: will the alliance break?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has slammed Spain's government for refusing to allow the US to use its airspace for the Iran war. In an interview he said that Nato could not be "a one-way street" and announced that the alliance would have to be re-examined. Italy also recently denied US fighter jets the right to land in Sicily. Europe's press sees the alliance in grave danger.
Sánchez risks triggering collapse
The Spanish Prime Minister's decision might serve him on the domestic front, but it also takes him down a dangerous path, warns Patrick Illinger, Süddeutsche Zeitung's Madrid correspondent:
“The Prime Minister, who is trailing behind in the polls, can be certain of one thing: a ban on US bombers flying over Spain will win him support – more so than it will influence the course of the war. ... Yet despite all the emotional support for Sánchez's course: the worst-case scenario would be a rapid collapse of Nato. Trump will not rule forever; support for him in his own country is waning. The primary goal of European policy should therefore be to preserve the alliance beyond his term in office. Whether this works better with a firm stance (Sánchez) or a more cautious approach (Merz), we will find out in three years at the latest.”
Italy's critical distance
Rome's refusal to allow US aircraft a stopover at the Sigonella airbase in Sicily on their way to the Middle East meets with full approval from Corriere della Sera:
“The explanation from the government palazzo and the official statement by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto mark a significant turning point. ... Naturally the government is at pains to emphasise that relations with the American allies are solid and based on 'unrestricted and loyal cooperation'. But after Spain made a similar decision and France refused to give jets headed for Israel access to its territory, in a time of a major international crisis Italy has demonstrated a critical and necessary distance.”
Relentless self-destruction
Večernji list is convinced that the damage to Nato stems primarily from one source:
“Regardless of how Trump's war against Iran ends, even if it ends tomorrow in the best possible way (which is unlikely), Nato has suffered another blow because the president of the alliance's largest and most powerful nation has described it as an alliance of cowards. ... All the mistakes and lies that Trump is now repeating have all been seen before in one form or another, but this misguided and deceitful policy to bring about Nato's self-destruction is truly unprecedented. ... Is there anyone who can save Nato from the battering that Trump is inflicting on it with such dedication and persistence?”
Threatening for Europe
In LRT, political scientist Gintas Karalius writes with concern:
“The redefinition of US national interests vis-à-vis Europe and the establishment of a transactional, 'deal-based policy' in its international relations has caused a significant deterioration in the security situation for smaller states. Europe has become an indispensable partner, but one that is only available on a case-by-case basis. As a result, US resources are no longer primarily determined by alliances and multilateral agreements, but increasingly by bilateral, mostly commercially driven arrangements. For today's Europe, which is accustomed to rule-based politics founded on reliable treaties and procedures, this represents a costly and potentially threatening development.”
Trump is finding new allies in the Gulf
The US will simply forge new alliances, Radio Kommersant FM predicts:
“Unlike tolerant Europe, Washington's Arab allies are demanding outright that the White House solve the Iran issue one and for all. ... They are in no hurry to get involved in the war, but are obviously prepared to provide as much financial assistance as they can. And not only that: the Gulf monarchies are making their bases available, for which, by the way, they are coming under fire from the Islamic Republic almost every day. ... It looks very much as if today's Nato, mired as it is in bureaucracy, is being replaced by a 'Middle East Nato', a new alliance with new members.”