European politicians are indignant that former and possibly future U.S. president Donald Trump threatened to deny protection to NATO allies that don't meet their defense spending obligations. Worse, he said he'd "encourage" Russia to do its worst if they didn't pay up, making the pact sound more like a protection racket than an alliance. But while Trump managed, typically, to frame the matter in the nastiest way possible, he's right that many European countries free-ride on American military might.
