"In 2017 a new American president, Donald Trump, directly called Europe’s bluff. His two immediate predecessors, George W. Bush and Barack Obama (2009–17), had both indicated a desire to withdraw from the role of policing Europe. While Bush was consumed by the Middle East, Obama ‘pivoted’ towards Asia-Pacific. Trump dismissed NATO as ‘obsolete’ and suggested Europe was now rich enough to defend itself. At a rally in December 2017 he said he had told the people of Europe ‘they’ve been delinquent. They haven’t been paying… I guess I implied you don’t pay, we’re out of there.’ He was also avowedly a friend, if not an ally, of Putin."