Expanding NATO to the Pacific Is Absurd

It is unnecessary, unwise, and potentially dangerous.

James Stavridis has a terrible idea for further NATO expansion:

But with Russian President Vladimir Putin knocking at Europe’s door with his invasion of Ukraine; a Middle East literally in flames; increasing tension in on the Pacific Rim — between the US and China, and between Beijing and its neighbors over the South China Sea; cyberattacks against states and corporations proliferating; and the Islamic State seemingly on a comeback, NATO should think about recruiting a few new members from outside its traditional boundaries.

In East Asia, there are a handful of natural partners that share the alliance’s vision of freedom, democracy, liberty and human rights.

Bringing Asian allies into NATO is clearly absurd, but then there are all kinds of absurd ideas that can end up becoming official policy if they aren’t challenged and knocked down. It is unnecessary, unwise, and potentially dangerous. If current allies were foolish enough to agree to this, it would overstretch the alliance and ratchet up tensions with Russia and China at the same time. It would take an alliance that it is already too large and unwieldy and exacerbate all of its existing problems.