The U.S. does NOT have a thumb on any of the NATO countries. Norway chose to be in NATO and if it comes to it Norway will be in NATO if the U.S. desides to pull out. The new Nordic NATO aliance (Norway, Danmark, Finland and Sweden) are redy to defend our selvs agains any other country (except our good friends the U.S.). Combind on paper the aliance is stronger then Germany. And when it coms to Russia, they are only the second strongest Army in the Ukrain so no concerns there.
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Spoken like a true Viking π
I do think the U.S. has sway over Europe through NATO, though. Look at how the U.S. got the Nordstream-II pipeline blown up and neither Germany or any other European country has done anything about it. With good friends like that, who needs enemies?
Donβt get me started on Nordstream-II.
πππ