Apocalypse Soon? The US and NATO at a Crossroads

Apocalypse Soon? The US and NATO at a Crossroads

From Net Assessment by The Stimson Center

July 2, 2026 · 1h 1m

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of the US's decreased conventional commitment in Europe on NATO deterrence and the potential for nuclear escalation.

With Chris galavanting across Europe, Stimson's Emma Ashford joins Melanie and Zack to debate whether the United States is undermining deterrence in Europe. What does a decreased U.S. conventional commitment mean for the risk of nuclear escalation? And might Vladimir Putin see this as an opportunity to test the alliance by attacking a NATO member, either now or in the future? Emma also commends Scotland's Tartan Army while Melanie criticizes the firing of General Christopher Donahue and Zack laments the dismissal of career officials by the acting Director of National Intelligence. Show Links: Celeste A. Wallander, " The Coming Crisis of NATO Deterrence ," Foreign Affairs, May 28, 2026. Rose Gottemoeller, " The Strange Defeat of Nuclear Deterrence ," Foreign Affairs, July/August 2026. Ellen Nakashima and Warren P. Strobel, " New acting intel czar Bill Pulte starts trimming staff as Trump urged ," Washington Post, June 25, 2026. Daryl Press and Jennifer Lind, " The Broken Nuclear Umbrella: What Comes After Extended Deterrence ," Foreign Affairs, July/August 2026. Recommended Reading : Evan Montgomery and Toshi Yoshihara, " Friendly Proliferation and the Future of the Japan-US…

People in this episode

Hosts: Melanie, Zack

Guest: Emma Ashford

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NATO, Director of National Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, Washington Post

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