Finally, the United States will follow through on its NATO commitments. 

That’d be the cheeky interpretation of President Donald Trump’s announcement, via Truth Social, that he wants a US defense budget of $1.5 trillion next year.

This would represent a stunning 50% increase over the current budget, and put US spending right around 5% of GDP — the target level that NATO counties recently adopted at Trump’s insistence. 

The details and follow-through will matter, but on its own terms, the Trump declaration is of epic significance.

Such a historic defense build-up would meet the moment — it’s never made sense for United States to enter a period of heightened risk of great power conflict at a time when it has difficulty replenishing its missile stocks. 

It would match the predilections of a president who enjoys throwing his weight around.

If Trump wants to speak loudly and carry a big stick — his even more bumptious version of Teddy Roosevelt’s axiom — it requires the resources to build and maintain the stick. 

And it would match his vision of a world-class military, which........

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