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.