Founded in 1949 as a bulwark against Soviet aggression, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) remains the pillar of U.S.-European military cooperation. An expanding bloc of NATO allies has taken on a broad range of missions since the close of the Cold War, many well beyond the Euro-Atlantic region. President Joe Biden has sought to recommit the United States to NATO and mend transatlantic ties that became strained under the Donald Trump administration.
In 2021, NATO remains focused on deterring Russian aggression in Eastern Europe and is continuing a full withdrawal of its security forces from Afghanistan. Meanwhile, alliance members carry out several operations: peacekeeping in Kosovo, patrolling the Mediterranean, training Iraqi security forces, supporting African Union forces in Somalia, and policing the skies over Eastern Europe.
In an interview with CNN's Dana Bash, the former veep was asked about Trump's retweet of a Fox News commentator making fun of Biden's decision to wear a mask at a service while he we…