This is John Batchel, a conversation with colleague Teresa Fallon in Brussels about the European attitude, the EU attitude, the NATO attitude, the attitude in Brussels, toward the United States now that it's very clear the Trump administration says you can handle your own defense. You don't need us.

Whatever, you know, Donald Trump has hit something right on the nail, you could say,

is because for 30 years the Europeans have under-spent on defense.

And so there is definitely a grain of truth that they're cheap writing or free writing,

and Europeans will agree to that.

And this idea that now all of a sudden they're cheap writing or free writing, and Europeans will agree to that. And this idea that

now all of a sudden they're pulling together, well, I'm sorry, the war in Ukraine began three

years ago. Why didn't they increase defense spending back then? Or even earlier back in 2014,

when Moscow annexed Crimea and had the little green men.

So the Europeans never really seemed to be too interested in spending more on defense.

And now they're saying, you know, we're going to do this.

Do you remember the Zayten Venda that Schultz announced?

Well, I would call it the Zaytenverda.

Where did that all go?

It didn't go very far.