Colombia’s outsider candidate defied the polls
NewsFeed Colombia’s presidential election is headed to a runoff on June 21. Far-right outsider, Abelardo de la Espriella, will face leftist senator, Ivan Cepeda. Professor Jorge Restrepo describes de la Espriella’s rise in the polls as a punishment vote against Colombia’s long-established political class. Published On 1 Jun 20261 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
‘Before, the land sustained us’: Who benefits from Guinea’s bauxite wealth?
Bembou Silaty, Guinea – Mamadou Aliou walks through the small village of Bembou Silaty in northwestern Guinea carrying an irresolvable contradiction. The 38-year-old works in the environmental health and safety department for a bauxite mining company, yet he is also an activist striving to improve life in his community, which often means criticising the actions of another mining company in the area. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “Before these companies arrived, we cultivated our land, and it sustained us,” Aliou told Al Jazeera. “We could cover our daily needs, especially food. But now, when a piece of land is registered and belongs to a mining company, you have nothing there any more.” The foreign-linked mining companies are part of the global scramble for Guinea’s bauxite. The West African nation holds the world’s biggest reserves of the ore, which is the source material for alumina and ultimately aluminium, a metal essential for car and aircraft frames, windows, wind turbines, and solar panels. Over the past three decades, Guinea has multiplied its bauxite production tenfold. More than a dozen projects of bauxite production are currently ongoing in the country, according to the online cadastre. As the global energy transition demands ever more aluminium, it has placed Guinea in a strategically crucial position. Approximately 75 percent of the bauxite exported by the country over the past decade has ended up in China, which produces 60 percent of the world’s aluminium. Companies from Russia, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates have also established themselves in the country to secure the ore. In Bembou Silaty, an Indian company that began operations in 2019 now holds an exploitation concession until 2034. Advertisement Located in the prefecture of Telimele (Kindia region), Bembou Silaty has undergone a transformation since bauxite was discovered on its land about five years ago. Yet, on the ground, many lament the cost: Contaminated water, loss of farmland, and a steep decline in agricultural productivity. Mamadou Aliou, left, speaks to another resident in Bembou Silaty [Nuria Vila Coma/Al Jazeera] ‘No land, no money’ In the traditional bauxite heartlands of Kindia and Boke, the main roads are in notably good condition, a cut above the rest of the country. Steady jobs in technical roles or transport logistics have created economic opportunities for some Guineans. Yet Bembou Silaty remains a quiet, peaceful village without electricity, and farming methods that are untouched by mechanisation. Less than 2km (1.2 miles) away, however, the lush green landscape and mild climate of the rainy season give way to the electric-powered site of the Indian mining company. There, excavators and trucks laden with bauxite constantly traverse the wide, unpaved roads, built to accommodate the heavy traffic, in a noisy, busy zone where the mining economy bulldozes its way forward. People working in technical roles at the mine can earn up to about $300 a month. For other locals who make a living from farming, most don’t have a regular wage and rely on the yield from their crops. Across Guinea, an estimated half of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Locals in Bembou Silaty say every hectare claimed by mining is a hectare lost to farming, in a country that spent more than $500m importing rice in 2024. “They give you compensation for your land, but it’s not enough, and in the end, it’s mismanaged,” Aliou said. “Within a month or two, someone who received 50 or 100 million Guinean francs ($5,700-11,400) has nothing left. No land, no money. They have to start over, from below zero.” Locals who still own land continue to grow rice, cassava, peanuts and cashews in the village, but they have ever less space and agricultural productivity is falling. The village women have set up an association, “Allawalli” (which means “God help us” in Fula), to work cooperatively. Resident Fatoumata Binta Bah and her family lament having lost their land [Nuria Vila Coma/Al Jazeera] ‘Not enough’ Walking through the alleys of Bembou Silaty, a few houses stand out. They are made of cement, which withstands the rains better than the more common mud-brick homes, though many remain unfinished. Locals say they were built with compensation money. Advertisement Fatoumata Binta Bah, a neighbour of Aliou’s, comes from a family of farmers. They once cultivated cashews, their livelihood. Then the Indian mining company started up operations and offered them less than 50 million Guinean francs (about $5,700) for their land. That compensation, paid as a lump sum, seemed like a decent amount of money, she says. But now, the money is gone, and their new house is still incomplete. “The land they took from us was productive. That’s what we lived on,” said Bah, 20, as she prepared tea over a fire in the family courtyard. “In the end, it wasn’t enough,” she lamented. The Indian company did not respond to Al Jazeera’s questions on the purchase of land. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the village, surgical holes drilled into the ground mark where mining companies have tested for bauxite – a reminder to the farmers that the impact on the land is felt even before extraction begins. In a recent report, Djami Diallo, the Guinean minister of the environment and sustainable development, stated that each year, certain companies had their impact studies and evaluation reports rejected for failing to comply with environmental standards. Three or four companies in Boke, Kindia’s neighbouring region that is considered the bauxite capital in the country, were said to be affected. But the minister acknowledged that “just because companies do not meet the conditions to obtain the compliance certificate does not mean that everything stops.” Locals carry water from a communal tap in Bembou Silaty [Nuria Vila Coma/Al Jazeera] Clean water, the greatest challenge Not all homes in Bembou Silaty, a community of about 5,000, have indoor toilets and plumbing. In the centre of the village, there are communal latrines for those who do not have facilities available in their homes. Showers can be
US says ban on AI chip shipments applies to Chinese firms outside China
Department of Commerce issues guidance on chip restrictions amid concerns about loopholes in export control regime. Published On 1 Jun 20261 Jun 2026 The United States has issued a notice affirming its restrictions on shipments of semiconductors to subsidiaries of Chinese companies located outside China amid concerns about loopholes in Washington’s export control regime. The Department of Commerce said in the guidance issued on Sunday that its licensing requirements for the export of advanced AI chips applied to all businesses with headquarters or a parent company in China. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which falls under the Commerce Department, said it issued the clarification in response to questions about whether it was enforcing preexisting licence requirements after it overturned former President Joe Biden’s Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion. “The answer is yes,” the BIS said in the notice. Unveiled in the final days of the Biden administration, the framework proposed the implementation of a globe-spanning licensing regime to control access to AI chips, including export caps for all but the closest US allies. The framework drew backlash from tech firms, including Nvidia, the world’s most valuable chip company, which cast the proposal as a threat to innovation and cross-border collaboration. President Donald Trump’s administration scrapped the framework last May, ahead of its implementation, citing the “burdensome new regulatory requirements” and the harm it would do to Washington’s diplomatic relations with other countries. Chip giant Nvidia, whose top-of-the-line Blackwell GPUs are banned for export to China, said it had already been operating in keeping with the clarified rules. Advertisement “The guidance reaffirms that NVIDIA’s sales and vetting process is correct – consistent with our existing approach, licences are required to ship controlled products to PRC headquartered companies,” a Nvidia spokesperson told Al Jazeera, using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China. AMD and Intel, Nvidia’s main competitors in the GPU space, and TSMC, which manufactures the most advanced chips on behalf of clients including Nvidia, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The BIS also did not respond to inquiries. Chris McGuire, a former State Department official who worked on technology policy in the Biden administration, accused the Trump administration of providing Chinese companies a loophole to buy export-controlled chips. “Chinese companies have been buying these chips, very likely at scale. And because BIS has not updated export control regulations to clearly state what it IS enforcing, all of this was legal,” McGuire said in a post on X. “This clarification does make clear that Blackwell shipments to China-headquartered companies outside of China are now illegal again – which is good, although obviously we have to see how many shipments have already gone to assess how much damage was done,” McGuire said. “BIS’ statement acknowledges these shipments have been happening when it says companies who bought chips under this loophole don’t have to stop using them.” The US has rolled out numerous restrictions on the supply of high-end technology to China, as Washington and Beijing battle for dominance in AI. In December, Trump announced that he would allow Nvidia to sell its H200 chip to China, in a major loosening of Washington’s export controls. While not Nvidia’s most advanced chip, the H200 is about six times as powerful as the H20, the most advanced chip previously allowed for export to China. Adblock test (Why?)
WATCH: Huge sandstorm darkens skies in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer amid scorching heat
Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district again witnessed a massive sandstorm on Sunday, which turned the sky red and caused nearly zero visibility in many parts of the region.
After Twisha Sharma case, influencer found dead in Lucknow, family alleges dowry harassment
While the woman’s in-laws claim she died by suicide, her family has alleged she was murdered over dowry demands. The police case has been filed against the woman’s husband and five of his family members.
Pakistani youth crosses LoC to meet woman he met on Snapchat, detained in Kashmir
A 22-year-old youth from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to meet an Indian woman he had befriended on Snapchat.
Hasan Piker says UK has barred him, trashes ‘unbelievable…power’ of pro-Israel groups
It hasn’t been a great last few days for Marxist political influencer Hasan Piker. First, as Fox News Digital reported exclusively last week, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) sent Piker an administrative subpoena seeking financial, logistical and communications records related to his March trip to Cuba as part of an investigation into whether he violated U.S. sanctions laws against doing business with the communist regime running the island nation. Then last night, during protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark, N.J., hecklers confronted Piker, calling him a “f—ing fraud, ” “fake-a– grifter” and “dog abuser,” telling him, “Go back to the desktop.” (Piker has denied allegations he trained his dog, Kaya, with a shock collar.) Now, Piker told his loyal following on the gaming platform Twitch that British authorities denied his Electronic Travel Authorization, or ETA, preventing him from traveling to the United Kingdom for a series of scheduled appearances, including events at SXSW London and the Oxford Union. Approved U.S. travelers to the UK can enter the country with a simple Electronic Travel Authorization, which is easier to get then a formal visa. “I’ve been banned from the UK,” Piker told viewers. “I’ve been to the UK on numerous occasions, and all of the things they’re complaining about now are things I’ve said before.” He went on to say, “It’s f—ing ridiculous.” HASAN PIKER DEFENDS PRO-COMMUNIST, ANTI-ICE SINGHAM NETWORK ACTIVISTS AS ‘WONDERFUL PEOPLE’ Although Fox News Digital could not confirm Piker’s claim, such a move by the UK would be significant because it would mark a potential red line that a Western government has drawn regarding the importation of extremist ideas and ideological movements that officials believe may contribute to social unrest, extremism or political violence. At the tail end of a long livestream, Piker said he was denied entry for alleged antisemitism, which he denied, and then proceeded to lash out at Jewish organizations that he said had campaigned against his visit, claiming they wielded excessive influence over British policy. “Israel advocacy organizations have unbelievable amounts of power over what even the United Kingdom has to say and do,” Piker said. “If you’re an avowed anti-Zionist, your travel will be restricted.” Piker accused the UK government of bowing to pressure from pro-Israel advocacy groups and described the decision as evidence of a growing crackdown on political dissent across Western democracies. The comments came weeks after several British Jewish organizations publicly urged the government to block Piker’s entry into the country, citing remarks they described as antisemitic and supportive of extremist groups. Piker has said he believed the U.S. deserved the 9/11 attack as “backlash” for its foreign policy decisions. The Jewish Leadership Council and Community Security Trust argued that Piker’s presence in Britain would not be “conducive to the public good,” pointing to his comments about Hamas, Hezbollah, Zionism and Orthodox Jews. Labour MP David Taylor also called on the Home Office to revoke Piker’s visa ahead of scheduled appearances at SXSW London, arguing that his rhetoric had contributed to concerns within Britain’s Jewish community. Punctuating his commentary about the UK decision with deep sighs, cursing and rage at suggestions from his followers, Piker repeatedly rejected accusations of antisemitism, saying criticism of Israel was being conflated with hatred of Jews. He said the decision reflected a broader trend in which governments are suppressing anti-Israel voices. “This is straight-up fascism,” Piker said. “Being critical of Israel while combating antisemitism is not a good enough reason to bar someone entry into the country.” HOW A RHODES SCHOLAR WITH TIES TO CUBA’S PRESIDENT ORGANIZED THE CONVOY THAT BROUGHT HASAN PIKER TO HAVANA The streamer said he had planned a week-long trip that included appearances alongside former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, a live podcast recording and an event at Oxford Union. Varoufakis is the co-founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit group, Progressive International, which Piker credits with getting him to Cuba for a March aid convoy that may have violated U.S. laws. A Fox News Digital investigation chronicled how Progressive International and its co-founder David Adler have allegedly been a critical part of a foreign influence operation by the Communist Party of Cuba. Progressive International and Adler didn’t respond to a request for comment. The U.K. government didn’t respond to a request for comment. However, in recent weeks, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, a critic of Israeli policies, recently revoked the travel authorization of Piker’s uncle, Cenk Uygur, founder of “The Young Turks,” after concluding his presence would not be “conducive to the public good.” During the livestream, Piker warned that the alleged UK decision could set a precedent for other Western countries, including Australia and Canada, potentially restricting his future travel. HASAN PIKER NAMES PRO-CCP TYCOON SINGHAM AS FINANCIER OF ‘POLITICAL MOVEMENTS’ DESPITE NONPROFIT VENEER “I genuinely did not think this would happen,” he said. “We’re moving into a very different timeline.” Piker said he and his team were exploring whether he could apply for a standard visa despite the denial of the Electronic Travel Authorization, though he acknowledged it was a long shot. Piker’s case intersects with a broader inquiry into the influence of transnational activist networks operating in the United States. During a livestream this week, Piker said that the Treasury Department’s investigation into his Cuba trip may ultimately be focused on Neville Roy Singham, an American Marxist businessman living in Shanghai who has funded a network of nonprofit organizations and activist groups that have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and administration officials. Among the organizations funded by Singham is CodePink, which also received a Treasury Department administrative subpoena related to its participation in the March convoy to Cuba, as well as groups such as the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the ANSWER Coalition. All three organizations openly identify with socialist or communist political traditions and have been prominent organizers of anti-Israel demonstrations across the United States since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas against Israel. Critics argue that some of
Left-wing streamer blasts New Jersey governor over state police response at ICE facility protests
Marxist political commentator and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker blasted New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill during a livestream Sunday, accusing the Democratic governor of aiding the Trump administration’s immigration agenda through her response to anti-ICE protests outside a Newark detention facility. Piker’s criticism came after Sherrill defended the deployment of state police around demonstrations outside Delaney Hall, an ICE detention center in Newark, saying she would not allow unrest to provide a pretext for expanded federal immigration operations in New Jersey. “I refuse to let that happen in New Jersey. I will not give ICE a pretext,” Sherrill said in remarks aired during a news segment Piker was reacting to on stream. Piker quickly mocked the governor’s explanation. GOV. SHERRILL BLAMES ICE, DEFENDS RIOTERS AFTER DEPLOYING TROOPERS TO QUELL VIOLENT MOB “Yeah, I won’t give ICE a pretext. So I’m going to ensure that they don’t have to do anything because I’m going to do it myself,” Piker said. “That’s basically what the meta is here for this blue state and its new blue governor.” The political commentator then broadened his criticism beyond Sherrill’s handling of the protests. “This is the centrist wing of the Democratic Party, ladies and gentlemen. This is what happens,” Piker said. ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY The comments came as anti-ICE demonstrations continued outside Delaney Hall, where activists have alleged detainees are being held in poor conditions and not receiving adequate food. The Department of Homeland Security has disputed those claims. Later in the stream, Piker accused Sherrill of helping advance President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. “The story is not the far-left activists continuing to rage at ICE in New Jersey,” Piker said. “The real story is the horrifying conditions inside of this facility … and the governor acting as though she’s powerless to put a stop to it, and using what power she does have to basically work alongside the MAGA movement alongside the Trump administration, because these are state troopers in anti-riot gear on horseback.” FEDERAL AGENTS IN NEW JERSEY BEAT BACK ANTI-ICE AGITATORS IN CHAOS OUTSIDE DELANEY HALL DETENTION FACILITY “These are state troopers that are brutalizing New Jerseyans,” he added. Piker further accused authorities of mistreating journalists covering the demonstrations. “They’re doing Israeli occupying force s—. It’s disgusting,” he said while discussing reports that an Associated Press photographer was injured while covering the protests. WATCH: POLICE ABSENT FROM DELANEY HALL CHAOS AS AGITATORS BLOCK ICE VEHICLES AND AGENTS USE PEPPER SPRAY The streamer also used the broadcast to criticize Democratic lawmakers over immigration policy. “Democrats have absolutely participated in this process,” Piker said, arguing that some members of the party have supported legislation and funding measures related to immigration enforcement. “I want to change that system,” he later added. “Part of that also revolves around getting people elected who will make a big fuss.” NJ DEMOCRATS PUSH ‘F—ICE ACT’ TO LET RESIDENTS SUE OVER IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT Later in the stream, Piker told viewers, “That’s what I’m trying to f—ing change.” In recent months, Piker has crisscrossed the country canvassing for candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America. During Sunday’s livestream, he also voiced support for billionaire gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer and quoted Mao Zedong, the founder of the Chinese Communist Party. Piker has previously drawn scrutiny for his support of progressive candidates and activism surrounding immigration policy. Earlier this year, he campaigned in New Jersey for congressional candidate Adam Hamamy, a Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidate whom Piker publicly defended following media scrutiny over his background. Sherrill’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Trump warns judge against sacrificing national security by blocking White House ballroom, drone base
President Donald Trump is warning against obstruction of the $400 million White House ballroom and rooftop drone base, directly calling out U.S. District Judge Richard Leon for giving in to a “serial plaintiff” and a “ridiculous lawsuit” putting U.S. national security at risk. “The DronePort at the White House Ballroom will be, perhaps, the most sophisticated anywhere in the World!” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social. “It will safeguard our Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C., long into the future. “Judge Richard Leon should stop playing games with America’s Security!” Trump urged Leon to dismiss the lawsuit from a person he described as a “highly litigious woman,” warning the judge would be “held responsible” if an attack hits the White House. FEDERAL JUDGE QUESTIONS TRUMP AUTHORITY ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT “If anything happens, he will be held responsible for the Death and Destruction caused to our Country,” Trump added. “He has already created enough problems by allowing ‘Top Secret’ information to be released and exposed based on a ridiculous lawsuit started by a highly litigious woman (serial plaintiff!) whose ‘strolling,’ in her opinion, will be disturbed by the new, desperately needed structure – In any event, a woman who has absolutely no STANDING! “With the advent of highly sophisticated, and powerful, modern day weaponry, we can no longer defend Washington, D.C., with rifles and pistols, alone. This ridiculous lawsuit must be dismissed, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump added. The post came as the Justice Department again pressed Leon to lift an injunction that has held up parts of the project, arguing in a court filing that a shooting outside a White House checkpoint earlier this month underscored the need for stronger security measures at the executive mansion. TRUMP PULLS BACK CURTAIN ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM’S FORTRESS-LIKE DEFENSES ABOVE AND DEEP BELOW “In light of the recent attacks against President Trump’s life — including two attempts in less than a month — the injunction entered by this Court for the benefit of a strolling woman, who filed suit against the East Wing Project long before she knew what was going to be built (This is a woman who is a known serial plaintiff throughout Washington, D.C.), and who has absolutely no standing, must be immediately vacated, and this suit, which is a complete embarrassment to our Country, must be dismissed,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in the five-page filing. “This is a terrible, tremendously harmful case to the United States of America, and all it stands for!” . The gunman who opened fire at the White House checkpoint was shot by officers and later died at a hospital. APPEALS COURT LETS TRUMP RESUME WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION, SEEKS LOWER COURT CLARITY Leon ruled in April that Trump lacked the legal authority to build the ballroom without congressional approval. He issued an injunction halting “above-ground construction of the planned ballroom,” though an appeals court quickly put that order on hold, allowing construction to continue until June. The lawsuit was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a congressionally chartered nonprofit organization. The group has said it would not drop the case, even after the Justice Department cited a foiled attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April as a reason to dissolve the injunction and dismiss the lawsuit. Trump previously disclosed that the ballroom project would include a rooftop drone base and a six-story underground military complex with a hospital and research facilities. During a tour with reporters , Trump said the ballroom’s roof would be built for military use and designed to withstand a direct attack. “The entire roof is built for military,” Trump said. “They have a massive drone capacity. Not only is it drone-proof, if a drone hits it, it bounces off, it won’t have any impact. But it’s also meant as a drone port that would protect all of Washington.” The proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom would dwarf the historic White House complex and has become a flashpoint in a broader fight over presidential authority, security spending and the preservation of historic federal buildings. WHITE HOUSE SAYS EAST WING DEMOLITION WAS NECESSARY DUE TO STRUCTURAL ISSUES Trump has argued that the ballroom is necessary to host large events of up to 1,000 people in a secure location, saying current White House entertainment spaces are too small. The White House has said the project’s security features include titanium fencing, hardened roofing, thick special glass and underground facilities. Trump told reporters the roof would be made of “impenetrable steel,” and said the fencing was strong enough that “a bulldozer cannot knock it over.” Leon has not yet ruled on the Justice Department’s latest request to dissolve the injunction and dismiss the case. Reuters contributed to this report.
Why NATO’s defense spending imbalance lasted for decades
This is part five of a series examining the challenges confronting the NATO alliance. For more than three decades, the U.S. carried the largest share of NATO’s military burden while many European allies spent far less on defense than Washington wanted. The imbalance survived the Cold War, multiple U.S. administrations and repeated debates over burden sharing. Only in recent years — following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and renewed pressure from President Donald Trump — have many NATO members begun significantly increasing defense spending. So why did the gap persist for so long? Defense analysts say the answer lies in a combination of post-Cold War optimism, domestic political priorities and an American defense umbrella that convinced much of Europe it could safely spend less on defense without sacrificing its security. GLOBAL SYSTEM TOOK ADVANTAGE OF AMERICA ON TRADE AND DEFENSE. THAT FREE RIDE IS OVER “For much of the post–Cold War period, it is fair to say that Europeans underinvested in defense, partly because threats were low, and partly because a series of U.S. presidents did everything they could to convince Europeans that we would stay there forever,” Barry Posen, a professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Fox News Digital. The collapse of the Soviet Union reinforced that mindset. With the primary threat NATO had been created to deter suddenly gone, governments across Europe moved to collect a so-called “peace dividend,” redirecting resources toward domestic priorities and away from their militaries. Between 1992 and 1999, defense spending among European NATO members fell 22%, helping establish a pattern of underinvestment that would persist for decades even as the United States maintained troops in Europe and continued serving as NATO’s ultimate security backstop. GERMANY UNVEILS NEW INCENTIVES TO BOOST MILITARY RECRUITMENT AMID GROWING RUSSIA THREAT As defense spending declined, many European governments expanded or maintained social welfare systems that consumed a growing share of public budgets. Programs such as healthcare, pensions and higher education became deeply embedded in domestic politics, often making them harder to cut than military spending. With the U.S. continuing to provide the bulk of NATO’s military power, many governments faced little immediate pressure to reverse course. Critics of the alliance’s spending imbalance argued that American taxpayers were effectively subsidizing Europe’s security, allowing allies to devote a larger share of public resources to domestic priorities. The result was what some defense analysts describe as a “moral hazard” problem: because the U.S. commitment to NATO was viewed as ironclad, allies could spend less on their own militaries without facing the full consequences of those decisions. NATO CHIEF WARNS EUROPE CAN’T DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US AS TENSIONS RISE OVER GREENLAND Over time, that dynamic became self-reinforcing. As European militaries shrank, many allies grew increasingly dependent on American capabilities ranging from logistics and intelligence to missile defense, strategic airlift and nuclear deterrence. “We are still having a strong, conventional U.S. presence in Europe,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said earlier in 2026, “and, of course, the nuclear umbrella as our ultimate guarantor.” American frustration over burden sharing is nearly as old as NATO itself. In 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned European allies that “the American well can run dry” and pressed them to assume a larger share of the alliance’s defense burden. The issue resurfaced repeatedly over the following decades as successive administrations sought greater European contributions to collective defense. The concern persisted long after the Cold War. In a blunt 2011 farewell speech in Brussels, then-War Secretary Robert Gates warned of a “dim if not dismal future” for NATO if European governments continued underinvesting in their militaries. Gates cautioned that there would be “dwindling appetite and patience” among American lawmakers and taxpayers to bear a disproportionate share of the alliance’s defense costs. Yet despite decades of warnings, the underlying incentives changed little. Washington repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to NATO and maintained a large military presence on the continent, reducing pressure on allies to rapidly increase defense spending. “Every administration has been pushing allies to spend more money on their own defense,” former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO Jim Townsend told Fox News Digital. The issue gained renewed urgency after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, when NATO established a benchmark for members to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense. While spending gradually increased, progress remained uneven across the alliance. “Nations slowly began going to that. But it’s been slow,” Townsend said. For years, burden-sharing disputes followed a familiar pattern: American officials urged allies to spend more, European leaders promised improvements and NATO continued to rely heavily on American military power. What finally broke that cycle, Townsend said, was the combination of Russia’s growing aggression and Trump’s willingness to challenge assumptions that had shaped the alliance for decades. “What really woke everyone up were two things,” Townsend said. “One was the 2022 invasion by Putin the second time. And then the second was Trump.” Unlike previous presidents, Trump openly questioned whether the United States should defend allies that failed to meet defense spending commitments. During his first term and again during his return to office, Trump argued that NATO members were taking advantage of American taxpayers and suggested U.S. protection should not be unconditional. Whether European leaders viewed Trump’s approach as pressure, a warning or a negotiating tactic, it altered assumptions that had shaped the alliance since the end of the Cold War and accelerated a debate that had simmered for decades. The shift culminated at NATO’s summit in The Hague, where allies agreed to a new goal of spending 5% of GDP on defense and defense-related investments by 2035. The agreement marked a dramatic leap from NATO’s long-standing 2% benchmark and reflected a growing consensus that the alliance faced a far more dangerous security environment than the one that emerged after the Soviet Union’s collapse. The agreement also signaled that many allies had come to the same conclusion American presidents had voiced for decades: the post-Cold War era of