(MENAFN - Asia Times) The rancor and bluster is gone. From now on, under the administration of President Biden, NATO will be treated as a respected ally, not a punching bag. How utterly refreshing. How novel. How truly progressive. According to a report in Breaking Defense , heading into this week's highly-anticipated NATO defense minister meetings, US officials are looking to project an aura of competence. No more threats and demands from the adversarial Trump administration, instead, a message of calm consultation among allies. It's almost like they know what they're doing. The Pentagon views the meetings as a way to reset the alliance after years of disruption, and a chance to set new goals on confronting China, combating climate change, and bringing NATO-aligned countries like Finland and Sweden closer to the alliance, Breaking Defense reported.