We agree with several points our U.S. Senator, Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pittsburgh, made in a recent column.

After observing the historical importance of the U.S. relationship with our European allies, McCormick wrote that the bond of NATO remains, “but, Secretary Rubio warned, it has grown weaker as our allies have pursued policies of managed decline. They have crippled their productive capacity with so-called ‘green energy’ policies, allowed deindustrialization to neuter their defense capabilities and neglected the very fabric of their own societies through mass, uncontrolled immigration. They have failed to live up to their end of the bargain in the alliance, and the marriage between the United States and Europe now needs fixing.”

The U.S. and western Europe, in World War II and the Cold War, championed the values of individual liberties and opportunity — a stance necessary for the preservation of the rights we cherish. We believe the U.S. will always need allies in this important fight.

And, having accepted the necessity of nations standing firm for the principles of freedom and governance rooted in respect for that freedom, we believe the U.S. and our allies must be prepared. Critical aspects of that preparation include an energy sector capable of reliably meeting the needs of protracted confrontation with those forces that would deprive peoples of their freedoms and opportunities, and industrial sectors capable of equipping and supplying the arsenals of our military services and our allies military forces.

We support Sen. McCormick’s efforts — and the efforts of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the White House — to recalibrate our international relations to emphasize the stark necessity of free nations having the energy and industry adept at supporting the defense of those nations’ free people and the principles of freedom for all men and women.