Whitaker: You Guys (Europe) Are Like Our Children, We Love You But You Need To Grow Up

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On Monday, the organizers of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), which is scheduled to take place on February 13-15, stated in their annual report that “for decades, Europe thrived under an American security umbrella that allowed it to prioritize integration and prosperity over hard power. That era has ended.”

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Speaking at the presentation of the report, Whitaker said, “I completely reject everything I just heard.” Washington is “not trying to dismantle NATO,” he added, but only wants to see its European allies take more responsibility for their defense.

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“When your kids are young, they’re dependent on you. But eventually you expect them to get a job. And so to me, that’s where we are. We still love them. You’re still allies,” the envoy told the audience.

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Whitaker thanked the allies for agreeing to boost military spending to 5% in 2024, but said that they are being too sluggish in turning this money into actual military capabilities. “One of the things that I’ve noticed in my time here in Europe is there is a lot of discussion and not a lot of action,” he stressed.

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