The Pentagon pausing the Permanent Joint Board on Defence is pure political theater — suspending a body that hadn't even met since Trump returned to office. Canada already pivoted away, deepening ties with Europe and China while hitting NATO spending targets ahead of schedule. Washington is announcing it won't attend meetings it was already skipping, and calling that leverage.
The PJBD pause is a serious signal that American security guarantees are no longer unconditional. This 86-year-old institution predates NORAD and survived every major crisis since WWII — pausing it means Washington is done subsidizing allies who underinvest in defense. Every NATO member should recognize that burden-sharing is now transactional, not sentimental.
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