That distant boom you hear is Vladimir Putin's head exploding at frustration with the upcheck of the alliance led by President Biden.
Ret. Adm. James G. Stavridis, former Supreme Commander of NATO, commenting on this week's NATO summit in Lithuania and President Biden's visit to Finland – currently NATO's newest member.
Adm. Stavridis was in conversation with Joy Reid and David Jolly on MSNBC.
Putin's unprovoked and illegal invasion has had the direct opposite effect on NATO. The alliance is stronger than ever with the recent addition of Finland, impending addition of Sweden, and the eventual addition of Ukraine.
When Joe Biden was in Helsinki he stood in the same building where Donald Trump cowered before Vladimir Putin in July of 2018. That's the contrast Adm. Stavridis couldn't get over.
Biden was warmly welcomed by NATO allies and leaders of Nordic countries. That's a contrast to how other leaders openly made fun of Trump in 2019.
Trump keeping classified nuclear secrets next to his Mar-a-Lago toilet is a perfect metaphor for the current Republican attitude on national security and international stability.