WASHINGTON, May 8. /TASS/. Escalating contradictions between Washington and its European NATO allies in the context of the conflict in the Middle East, coupled with the reduction of the US military presence, are forcing European countries to seriously consider scenarios in which the US would no longer lead the alliance, the NPR broadcaster reprorted.
According to its information, a series of disagreements – ranging from support for a war with Iran to the US president’s threats to "seize control of NATO-linked Greenland and Canada" – has led to a fundamental breakdown of trust. "Something fundamental has broken," Ivo Daalder, a former US ambassador to NATO under President Barack Obama, told the broadcaster. "Will the United States come to the aid of its NATO allies?" the former diplomat questioned. According to the article, "that anxiety is reshaping military planning, defense spending, procurement decisions and the future structure of the alliance itself."
The NPR noted that this week the Pentagon officially announced plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, which accounts for about 14% of the US force in that country. It recalled that US Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Sean Parnell explained this decision as a review of combat forces, but in Europe, the move is seen as a signal of Washington’s reduced involvement in the continent’s security affairs.
According to the broadcaster, these developments have prompted Germany to begin taking on a more active role. Berlin intends to create the strongest standing army in Europe by the mid-2030s, with a strength of about 460,000 troops, the article stated. Despite the US retaining its formal NATO membership, it is expected that de facto leadership of the alliance will shift to European states. However, experts warn that it will take Europe five to ten years to develop the capabilities necessary to replace US long-range aviation, reconnaissance, and strategic transport, creating a "vulnerability gap," the NPR concluded.