Keep the Russians out, the US down, and the Germans/French in command.

The French and Germans showed they are unwilling to particupate unless given complete control, or at least an absolute veto on anything NATO does. They have no ideas of actuially contributing anything like a fair share to NATO's operational capabilities. No, what these two countries wish (the Spanish also) is to issue the orders for the 'stupid' peons of the US and UK to follow.....

Russia is 'no less' of a threat than the USSR was in 1950?!!!! Codswallop. Russia could have rolled over a prostrate Europe then - now they simply could not do it. Russia might be able to grab chunks of Poland if Western Europe refused to intervene, but there is no possibility that it could take and hold a square inch of Germany!

Again I say nonsense.

Look at the patterns of history. Russia is a major threat and even a dominant power when the European powers are at odds or have fought each other into the stone age.

Russia was a major threat to Prussia and England during the Seven Years war because France and Austria were at Prussia's and Hanover's throat.

Later, Russia occupied Paris for a time at the end of Napoleon's tenture - but only after France, Austria, Prussia, and Spain had fought each other to utter moral and physical mutual exhaustion.

The same after WWII, which destroyed Germany for a decade and prostrated Italy, France, the UK, and pretty much the rest of Western Europe.

Absent those kind of conditions Russia can be a threat (particularly to the likes of Finland, Poland, or the other Eastern Europeans. But not a mortal threat because they are not capable of conquering and holding a stable and prosperous Europe. Particularly a Europe in whichFrance and Germany are united.