A retired three-star Army general and a U.S. senator have issued a warning about how President Donald Trump’s military strategy could embolden Russia and China and leave greater risk to America and its NATO allies.
In a joint guest essay published Monday in The New York Times, retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, argued that the Trump administration has undermined America's credibility due to its “inexplicable abandonment of the strategy.”
They point out two main issues: having the military capability to respond to hostile aggression and convincing them that the US is prepared to use it. The authors say that Trump’s strategy, particularly with Iran, has left the US vulnerable.
In the opinion piece, they point to examples of increased Russian provocation in NATO countries, such as their drones flying over Romania, sabotage operations in Germany, and missiles entering Poland's airspace. These incidents, they say, have heightened the danger of a confrontation involving NATO.
Hertling, a former commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe, and King, who serves on the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees, pointed to the administration's reduced support for Ukraine during the ongoing Russia conflict as proof of the declining American resolve.
They also criticized the reduction of U.S. troop levels in Germany and rotational deployments in Eastern Europe, arguing those moves could convince Russian President Vladimir Putin that Washington will not stand behind its allies if they expand aggression beyond Ukraine.
They said the Iran war has exposed a different weakness.
They argued that the depletion of U.S. munitions stockpiles after about seven months of fighting with Iran, along with its regional bases being exposed to attacks, has shown adversaries weaknesses in the US military. Iran has given Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping a "tutorial in our tactics and the limitations of our military power," they wrote. The authors also pointed out that Trump has mostly failed to achieve his military goals in the conflict.
The authors also referred to last year's 52-day bombing campaign against Houthi forces in Yemen, which has done very little to eliminate the group's ability to threaten shipments passing through the Red Sea.
They warn that a combination of these factors could help adversaries determine that the United States lacks the resources or resolve to compete in a prolonged war. Especially when considering the military capabilities of nations such as Russia or China, which far exceed those of Iran.
Hertling and King called for the Trump administration to renew support for Ukraine, stronger enforcement of sanctions against Russia, and a reversal of American troop withdrawals from Eastern Europe. They also urged Trump to stop undermining longstanding U.S. alliances with Europe.
They argued that failing to restore credible deterrence could have severe consequences. Abandoning Ukraine sends a message that is "closer to an invitation" for further aggression, they wrote.
They concluded that the administration's emphasis on "lethality and testosterone" has not compensated for what they see as damaging military and diplomatic decisions.
