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Opinion
The Editors

There’s No Need for a European Army

NATO has kept the peace for nearly 70 years. Why mess with success?

The French have tried this before. 

The French have tried this before. 

Photographer: Jean-Christophe Magnenet/AFP/Getty Images

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As he marked the centennial of World War I’s end, French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the creation of a European army. The U.S. cannot be counted on, he says; it’s backsliding on its commitment to Europe’s defense. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has made similar claims.

It’s unfortunately true that Donald Trump’s insults to European leaders have strained the NATO alliance. And if the U.S. president succeeds in withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Russia’s threat to the continent would increase.