The NATO summit did not collapse into chaos, a blow-up or an open split. HBL says the most important political takeaway was still unmistakable: Europe is now being pushed to stand more clearly on its own feet.

That made the summit a success in one sense, because the alliance stayed intact and avoided a public crisis. But the broader shift is harder to ignore, as European countries are expected to shoulder a greater share of the burden for their own security even while the United States remains a central NATO power.