Dear readers,

I want Colby's Bergen Group to invite Britain, France and the Baltic states to the Poland meeting, or publish its criteria. Politico, citing six diplomats, reported their exclusion. I believe an alliance that guarantees the freedom of Western democracies rests on the rule of law and equal standing among members. If spending is the test, shutting out the three highest spenders and both European nuclear powers makes the test hard to defend.

Colby has convened Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands twice, starting in Bergen in June, Politico reported. He called them allies “rapidly meeting their Hague spending commitments.” NATO's 2026 estimates put Lithuania at 5.33%, Estonia at 5.11% and Latvia at 4.92% of GDP, the three highest shares.

An excluded ally's official told Politico: “We're trying to understand what the criteria is and what the purpose of these meetings are.” The Pentagon declined to comment; the White House did not respond.

On Sept. 8, Colby said “we must be prepared for a protracted conflict and for Ukraine's requirements to persist.” In my view a long war calls for more allies at the table, not fewer. Our Oct. 1 account leaves one question open: what qualifies an ally for a discussion of NATO's future?

Marcus Schuler