Former NATO chief says recent US administrations laid groundwork for global conflicts

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former NATO secretary-general, argued the past three U.S. presidential administrations are in part to blame for some of the current global conflicts.

Rasmussen on Tuesday broke down for Politico’s National Security Daily newsletter why he believes the recent administrations laid the groundwork for the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and ongoing concerns over a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

“Recent global events in the Taiwan Strait, in the Middle East, in Ukraine … are all results of American hesitance to actually lead,” Rasmussen told Politico.

Rasmussen led NATO for five years from 2009-14 after serving as Denmark’s prime minister for more than seven years.

The former NATO chief said the Obama administration started to “retreat” in the Middle East and that trend continued under the Trump and Biden administrations.

When it comes to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Rasmussen said Europe and the United States acted too weakly, prompting Russian President Vladimir Putin to launch a war against Kyiv, Politico reported.

“Time and again we see that …. if the U.S. is not exercising global leadership, then the bad guys would take advantage of the situation,” Rasmussen said. “When America leads, then the bad guys retreat.”

The Biden administration earlier this week sought to show it’s taking action on these conflicts. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. is “not turning inward.”

“And so, in the face of naked aggression, we are not turning inward. Under President Biden’s leadership, we’re rallying a global response to push back,” Sullivan said, before going into detail about the U.S.’s actions in Ukraine, the Red Sea, Israel and Gaza.

Rasmussen has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

He warned last year that the GOP nominating former President Trump would be a “geopolitical catastrophe,” as it could influence foreign affairs including the Russia-Ukraine war. A nomination for Trump could erode Republican support for the U.S.’s continued aid to Ukraine, Rasmussen argued at the time.

Politico reported on Wednesday that Rasmussen is calling on Democrats this week to strike a border enforcement deal with Republicans to secure aid for Ukraine and other U.S. allies.

“If I were asked by Democrats what to do, my advice would be to accommodate Republican views on the border issue and create a package with four elements: support for Ukraine, support for Israel, support for Taiwan and solve the border issue,” Rasmussen told Politico.

Several House Republicans have vowed to vote against further foreign aid if that does not come paired with stricter border policies. The back-and-forth across the aisle has persisted for months, resulting in stalled aid to countries in conflict.