You’re right, but what you’re not quite mentioning is that most of these defeats came from Russia instigating the conflict (even well before the communist revolution). Ie. it performed small invasions in various Baltic states, sweden and finland in the Napoleonic eras and was a general nuisance at the borders.

Russias long time battle strategy of using its populace as cannon fodder, and seeing individuals as worthless workers for the state, is also the reason why it never amounts to actually realizing the huge threat outsiders think it is.

In potential they can amass every citizen in the working force for their military complex.
But if those same citizens are bereft of anything that inspires them the fighting spirit dwindles and force must be used to push them to fight which isn’t a great thing for morale.

It showed in the Russian defeat against Napoleon, Napoleon took his inspired armies deep inside Russia, and all the Russians had as a strategy was just torch every town, city and granary in Napoleon’s path, untill he got stuck in the freezing winter without supplies nor local inhabitants to aid his conquest. The same thing it did with its own people during the communist revolution, it torched villages and killed livestock of any single Russians against the regime change. World War 2 also saw this tactic being used, and in Ukraine we’re seeing it again.

So the thing is, be it under the Tsar, the communist regime, or under Putins hybrid oligarchic communism, the cannon fodder doctrine never left the Russian way of thinking.

And this, in essence, also is why Russia is considered the antithesis and “the enemy” to the West’s view of individualism.

Seeing how the European members are one financial bloc it would be appropriate to count them as one and average their spending, then it would probably go past the 2% easily (I don’t have nor know how to use the relevant data, so correct me if I am wrong).

But this is not useful for Trump’s reasoning to want to leave NATO so he will not do that and count everyone separately, be it EU or other members.

He needs the excuse, and seeing how the EU is thwarting his and Putins plans for Ukraine, I can see Trump will come with an ultimatum this or next year to actually leave/dismantle NATO.

I am convinced that the only thing keeping Trump from leaving NATO right now is the income the Military Industry is receiving from this.

I fully agree.

Granted, many members were below the agreed upon spending of 2%

And he somewhat correctly complained about that…

Though some were above 2% already and Trump had nothing but silence for it…

But now that members drastically increased spending (not just because of him but also due to the Putin factor) Trump suddenly demands 5% across the board … already Poland is over that (because of Putin, not Trump) and Germany approaching it …

Trump knows/is told most members can not raise to 5% …and will use their non compliance to his orders as an excuse to torpedo NATO.

But I am sure when a few others do pass 5% he’ll go to 8% just to spite things and make sure Putin is appeased with his instilled chaos.