“It’s important for our self-confidence to see that the United States finally takes European security seriously again,” said Petr Kolar, a former Czech ambassador to the United States and to Russia. “At the same, time I wish that the European allies would do their homework, as well. It’s not fair to expect the U.S. to save us all the time, when we don’t take our protection seriously enough.”

Mr. Hokovsky, the European Values director, agreed. “Europeans really need to step up their defense efforts so that they are not like a child always waiting for an American mom to come save them because they are so lazy to spend their wealth on their own security,” he said.