American NATO commander says he is following “orders” with Trump’s deepening

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By [email protected]


Smardan, Romania – Near the borders of Romania with Ukraine This week, about 10,000 soldiers of the NATO reaction force (ARF) was training on how to respond to a sudden attack by a discount like Russia. All tanks, combat aircraft, and bombs and offensive helicopters participated in live fire training, while paramedics created mobile hospital units.

Nine allied countries participated in the weekly exercise, called DART 25 fixed, which witnessed the movements of employees and rapid and rapid equipment on all parts of Europe through close coordination of allied armies.

The United States was not one of the nine countries that participated in the exercise, but its role as a time card for a long time in the NATO coalition was a pivotal point among journalists who gathered to showcase a demonstration of ARF on Wednesday. This was just hours after President Trump blamed Ukraine, and its president, Folodimir Zelinski, specifically, due to the war that was ignited by Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

“Intensive” talks in Kyiv amid Trump Zelinski’s tension

Mr. Trump continued to bomb Zelinski as an ineffective leader, even He described it as a “dictator”, The Ukrainian president also said that the American president was living in the “field of misinformation” that Russia has established and returned. Ukraine has deteriorated from being excluded from the Trump administration’s initial talks with Russia, which Mr. Trump claims is going well and could bring a ceasefire deal, indicating that only Zelinsky stands on the way.


Trump’s policy of Ukraine, European leaders, are anxious

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US General Keel Keel, Mr. Trump’s envoy to Russia and Ukraine, retired in Kiev this week and held meetings with Zelinsky and other senior officials. He was expected to hold a joint press conference with Ukrainian officials on Thursday, but Kiev said that the United States was canceled. in Social media yetHowever, Kelogg hit a different tone from Mr. Trump.

Keel said that “a long and intense day”, but his discussions with Zelinsky, “the besieged and brave leader of a nation in the war and the talented national security team”, “comprehensive and positive.”

Zelenskyy agreed to respond to his position on social media, that the talks were intense, but he said that his meeting with Kellogg “is” regaining hope, and we need strong agreements with the United States – agreements that will really work. The team has ordered the work quickly and very reasonably. “

“We are following the orders of the elected officials by origins.”

The Admiral Stewart Monach, the leader of JFC Napoli, was one of the three common power orders in NATO, which managed the allied defense force in Romania to oversee the training. He was asked about the transformation of Mr. Trump away from the United States’ support for Ukraine, and the long -time dialogue points in the war.

“Your boss believes that Ukraine was essentially asking it (the war). Do you think it was an unjustified invasion and why do you not agree with your boss?” The British journalist asked his facility during a press conference.

“NATO consists of 32 countries, and NATO’s position has not been dismissed.”

NATO forces in exercises 25
Belgian tanks shoot during the DART 25 fixed exercise, part of the NATO reaction force (ARF) in Smardan, Romania, February 19, 2025.

Andrei Punovschi/Bloomberg/Getty


The United States and Canada are the only non -European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which was formed in 1949 in the aftermath of World War II. The coalition has played a vital role in preserving peace in Europe since then, due to a large extent to the collective defense condition in Article 5 of the founding charter of NATO, which mainly says that the attack on one ally will treat an attack on everyone.

“As a political and military alliance, what we do together in NATO contributes directly to security, prosperity, freedom of the United States and every ally,” says the US mission to NATO on its website. “NATO enhances democratic values ​​and encourages consultation and cooperation on defense and security issues to build confidence, in the long run, prevent conflict. NATO is committed to the peaceful decision of conflicts. Crisis management operations.”

Mr. Trump has long argued that the United States has spent more than a fair share of what is considered by Europe’s defense, and that European NATO allies should bear more financial burden.

“The entire NATO alliance is mainly organized throughout the United States,” Max Bergman, Director of the European, Russia, Eurasia program and Stewart Center in Atlantic Europe and Northern Europe at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), tell CBS News. ”All NATO planning depends on The United States … any other sidewalk, is considered a kind of parties, but it is the United States that provides the basics of the ban And dealing with Europeans from fighting together. “

However, Bergman says this is the way the United States historically encouraged the alliance to work.

“This is the way you approach Europe – is to say:” We want you to spend more, but we want you to be completely dependent on us. “What happened over the past ten years, was Europe to do so. She was spending more. They have provided a lot of aid to Ukraine. But they did not take any important steps that really organize themselves to be independent.

Romania NATO Defernus-Exercise
NATO military forces were seen during fixed arrows 2025 in the SMARDAN training area, in Smardan, Romania, February 19, 2025.

Daniel Mihalasku/AFP/Getty


With the emergence of the White House, which doubts the importance of NATO for American national security, Bergman says that there is a “real feeling of betrayal that I felt on both sides (the Atlantic Ocean), and in Europe, I think the perspective is, yes, we, we are based on the United States For defense, we should have done more, but so the United States also wanted to be. “

In the NATO exercise in Romania, CBS News asked from Munsch, who was as a NATO leader, about the clear separation between correspondence from the White House and the alliance, who has always emphasized the unity of the Allies.

“There are ongoing discussions at the national level,” Monch answered. “No decisions have been taken, so I am currently carrying out orders.”

He said he would be to work as usual unless he receives any new orders.

“This is always the case, right?” Monch said. “We are following the orders of the elected officials by origins.”



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