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Europe’s leading military powers are drafting plans to assume greater responsibility for the continent’s defense, following the alarming role of United States in the future of NATO, especially under the presidency of Donald Trump, as reported by Financial Times.
The United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Nordic nations are said to have had formal but systematic talks to craft a five- to ten-year managed transition plan. The suggestion seeks to systematically lower European dependency on US military aid while it enhances the continent’s defense capacity.
A Strategic Step Before NATO Summit
The talks aim to reduce the threat of sudden instability if Washington were to unilaterally leave NATO, an alliance that has protected Europe for almost eight decades, European officials quoted in the FT report say. The proposal is likely to be officially laid before the US before NATO’s annual leaders’ summit in The Hague this June.
Alarm over the role of America in NATO has intensified since Trump’s return to power early this year. His first term was characterized by continued bashing of NATO allies for what he argued were their inadequate contributions towards common defense. Consequently, European countries are racing to invest in their own defense capabilities so that they are not caught unprepared by possible US policy turns. Europe Steps Up Defense Investments
The US presently pays about 15.8% of NATO’s $3.5 billion annual budget and deploys between 80,000 to 100,000 soldiers in Europe. Although Washington’s contribution is still irreplaceable for European security, nations like Germany, France, and the UK have already committed higher defense budgets to pave the way for a more autonomous Europe.
One of the European officials who took part in the negotiations said to FT, “We have only one play that is increasing spending: burden-sharing and moving the dial away from US dependence.” But the official recognized that the scope of the work is huge, with some of the European policymakers still not sure if Trump’s words will come with radical policy shifts.
NATO Demands More Defense Inventories
Bloomberg News on Friday said NATO will urge European allies and Canada to raise their weapons and equipment reserves by 30%. The organization has singled out five areas of urgent need: air defense systems, deep-fire capabilities, logistics, communication and information systems, and land maneuver capacities.
The decision comes as Russia presses its military incursion into Ukraine, highlighting the imperative for a properly armed European defense system. Particular concern lies with air defense, which NATO sources indicate must be substantially bolstered in all allied countries, including the United States.
Since last November’s election of Trump, European countries have been racing to re-calibrate their military strategy. Some leaders in Europe wonder whether the US is a trustworthy ally after all, given the mixed signals from the administration about the future of NATO. Others feel that Trump’s comments were more rhetorical than real, an attempt to prod allies into spending more on defense.
Regardless of Washington’s stance, European leaders recognize the necessity of enhancing their own security capabilities.
The next few years could see a fundamental restructuring of NATO’s power dynamics, with Europe stepping into a more prominent role in its defense.
