President_NP0 Joe_NP0 Biden_NP0 's_POS trip_NN1 to_PRP Europe_NP0 provides_VVZ positive_AJ0 confirmation_NN1 of_PRF collaboration_NN1 and_CJC stability_NN1 among_PRP nations_NN2 on_PRP both_DT0 sides_NN2 of_PRF the_AT0 Atlantic_NP0 Ocean_NP0 ._SENT This_DT0 contrasts_VVZ markedly_AV0 with_PRP the_AT0 history_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 20th_ORD century_NN1 ._SENT Total_AJ0 wars_NN2 of_PRF unprecedented_AJ0 destructiveness_NN1 characterized_VVD that_CJT bloody_AJ0 era_NN1 ._SENT So_AV0 far_AV0 ,_PUN the_AT0 21st_ORD century_NN1 has_VHZ avoided_VVN that_DT0 fate_NN1 ._SENT You_PNP would_VM0 not_XX0 know_VVI that_CJT if_CJS you_PNP relied_VVD on_PRP major_AJ0 media_NN0 ._SENT Much_DT0 of_PRF the_AT0 coverage_NN1 of_PRF President_NP0 Biden_NP0 's_POS trip_NN1 has_VHZ been_VBN a_AT0 biased_AJ0 melodrama_NN1 ,_PUN celebrating_VVG the_AT0 successor_NN1 to_PRP his_DPS alarming_AJ0 ,_PUN destructive_AJ0 ,_PUN wicked_AJ0 predecessor_NN1 in_PRP the_AT0 White_AJ0 House_NN1 ._SENT At_PRP both_DT0 the_AT0 summit_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 G-7_CRD leaders_NN2 in_PRP Britain_NP0 and_CJC the_AT0 NATO_NP0 summit_NN1 in_PRP Brussels_NP0 ,_PUN Biden_NP0 has_VHZ emphasized_VVN the_AT0 priority_NN1 of_PRF alliance_NN1 relations_NN2 ._SENT This_DT0 is_VBZ a_AT0 welcome_AJ0 return_NN1 to_PRP customary_AJ0 U.S._NP0 leadership_NN1 ._SENT However_AV0 ,_PUN Donald_NP0 Trump_NP0 's_POS destructiveness_NN1 fortunately_AV0 was_VBD mainly_AV0 rhetorical_AJ0 ._SENT His_DPS complaint_NN1 that_CJT Europe_NP0 should_VM0 do_VDI more_DT0 for_PRP NATO_NP0 actually_AV0 is_VBZ a_AT0 sustained_AJ0 theme_NN1 of_PRF U.S._NP0 administrations_NN2 dating_VVG back_AVP to_PRP the_AT0 early_AJ0 1950s_CRD ._SENT History_NN1 is_VBZ the_AT0 antidote_NN1 to_PRP superficial_AJ0 commentary_NN1 ._SENT NATO_NP0 above_AV0 all_DT0 is_VBZ a_AT0 remarkably_AV0 durable_AJ0 alliance_NN1 ._SENT Nations_NN2 led_VVN by_PRP the_AT0 United_NP0 States_NP0 and_CJC Britain_NP0 signed_VVD the_AT0 NATO_NP0 treaty_NN1 in_PRP Washington_NP0 D.C._NP0 in_PRP April_NP0 1949._CRD The_AT0 influential_AJ0 British_AJ0 weekly_NN1 The_AT0 Economist_NN1 noted_VVN during_PRP NATO_NP0 's_POS 70th_ORD anniversary_NN1 that_CJT alliances_NN2 of_PRF the_AT0 Napoleonic_AJ0 Wars_NN2 in_PRP the_AT0 early_AJ0 1800s_CRD lasted_VVD on_PRP average_NN1 only_AV0 five_CRD years_NN2 ._SENT NATO_NP0 is_VBZ also_AV0 growing_AJ0 ._SENT On_PRP March_NP0 27_CRD ,_PUN 2020_CRD ,_PUN North_NP0 Macedonia_NP0 became_VVD the_AT0 latest_AJS member_NN1 ._SENT Montenegro_NP0 joined_VVD the_AT0 durable_AJ0 organization_NN1 in_PRP June_NP0 2017._CRD Atlantic_NP0 area_NN1 nations_NN2 created_VVD the_AT0 alliance_NN1 in_PRP direct_AJ0 response_NN1 to_PRP Soviet_AJ0 expansionism_NN1 during_PRP and_CJC after_PRP World_NN1 War_NN1 II_CRD ._SENT By_PRP 1949_CRD ,_PUN the_AT0 Cold_AJ0 War_NN1 had_VHD begun_VVN ._SENT Today_AV0 ,_PUN the_AT0 organization_NN1 pursues_VVZ various_AJ0 diverse_AJ0 missions_NN2 ._SENT The_AT0 collapse_NN1 of_PRF East_NP0 Europe_NP0 communist_AJ0 regimes_NN2 ,_PUN followed_VVN by_PRP the_AT0 Soviet_AJ0 Union_NN1 ,_PUN ended_VVD the_AT0 Cold_AJ0 War_NN1 but_CJC not_XX0 conflict_NN1 in_PRP Europe_NP0 ._SENT In_PRP 2008_CRD ,_PUN Russian_AJ0 troops_NN2 invaded_VVD a_AT0 portion_NN1 of_PRF Georgia_NP0 ,_PUN following_VVG an_AT0 attack_NN1 by_PRP Georgian_AJ0 troops_NN2 on_PRP South_NP0 Ossetia_NP0 ._SENT Russia_NP0 encouraged_VVD and_CJC fostered_VVD those_DT0 breakaway_AJ0 efforts_NN2 ._SENT In_PRP 2014_CRD ,_PUN Russia_NP0 invaded_VVD Ukraine_NP0 and_CJC annexed_VVD the_AT0 territory_NN1 of_PRF Crimea_NP0 ._SENT The_AT0 end_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 Cold_AJ0 War_NN1 was_VBD a_AT0 great_AJ0 victory_NN1 for_PRP the_AT0 policy_NN1 of_PRF restraint_NN1 and_CJC deterrence_NN1 ,_PUN termed_VVN "_PUQ Containment_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ Every_AT0 United_NP0 States_NP0 president_NN1 from_PRP Harry_NP0 Truman_NP0 ,_PUN when_CJS the_AT0 Cold_AJ0 War_NN1 commenced_VVD ,_PUN to_PRP George_NP0 H.W._NP0 Bush_NP0 when_CJS that_DT0 conflict_NN1 ended_VVD ,_PUN supported_VVD this_DT0 foundation_NN1 security_NN1 policy_NN1 ._SENT NATO_NP0 endures_VVZ for_PRP various_AJ0 reasons_NN2 ._SENT Bureaucracies_NN2 instinctively_AV0 seek_VVB self-perpetuation_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC modern_AJ0 militaries_NN2 represent_VVB potent_AJ0 political_AJ0 lobbies_NN2 ._SENT However_AV0 ,_PUN the_AT0 strategic_AJ0 realities_NN2 of_PRF an_AT0 assertive_AJ0 ,_PUN ominously_AV0 effective_AJ0 Russia_NP0 under_PRP President_NP0 Vladimir_NP0 Putin_NP0 is_VBZ the_AT0 most_AV0 important_AJ0 incentive_NN1 ._SENT 
