Amid growing uncertainty surrounding the United States’ commitment to European security under President Donald Trump, key European military powers are developing plans to assume greater responsibility for the continent’s defense, as per Al Jazeera.
The discussions involve a proposed managed transfer of defense responsibilities from the US over the next five to ten years.
According to a report in The Financial Times, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Nordic countries are engaged in informal but structured discussions to reshape the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) security bloc. The report cites four European officials involved in the talks.
The move comes as Bloomberg reports that NATO will ask European nations and Canada to increase their weapons and equipment stockpiles by 30 percent, amidst internal disagreements within the alliance, particularly concerning Trump’s repeated threats to withdraw from the bloc.
The FT report suggests that these discussions are aimed at preempting potential chaos should the U.S. unilaterally withdraw from the transatlantic security alliance, which has been a cornerstone of European security for eight decades. The European nations intend to present their plan to the US before the NATO annual leaders’ summit in The Hague in June.
Currently, the US contributes 15.8 percent to NATO’s annual expenditure of $3.5 billion and deploys an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 troops across Europe, making its role pivotal for the continent’s security.
Several European countries, including Germany, France, and the UK, have already announced plans to increase their defense spending and invest more in their militaries.
The FT report, citing government officials, suggests that it would require an estimated five to ten years of increased spending for European nations to develop the capabilities necessary to replace most US competences.
However, some officials reportedly believe Trump’s threats are merely rhetoric and that he does not intend to make significant changes to the alliance. Others are questioning whether Europe can continue to trust the US under Trump’s leadership.
Since Trump’s return to office last year, European countries have been actively working to increase defense spending and reassess their military posture in response to growing assertiveness from Russia.
Bloomberg reports that the targeted areas for increased investment include air defense systems, deep-fire capabilities, logistics, communication and information systems, and land maneuver capabilities.
