Brussels [Belgium], April 15 (ANI): Europe is considering a fallback plan to ensure the survival of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the event of a US pullback, as Germany has long advocated a more independent approach, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
European officials, The Wall Street Journal reported, are referring to the plan as a “European NATO.” The proposal aims to place more Europeans in senior command-and-control roles and supplement US military assets with their own.
The plan remains informal and is being discussed in private meetings. It is not intended to rival the current alliance but rather to strengthen deterrence against Russia.
European leaders have grown increasingly concerned after US President Donald Trump threatened to annex Greenland from Denmark and described NATO as a “paper tiger.” The concept of a European-led contingency framework was first discussed last year, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Political changes in Berlin have also contributed to the shift, particularly under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Previous German leadership had favored maintaining the US as the primary security guarantor, despite France’s calls for greater European autonomy in defense.
Although the challenge is significant, Europe is now considering taking on greater responsibility. The US is deeply integrated into nearly every aspect of NATO operations. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte recently said the alliance would become “more European-led,” as quoted by The Wall Street Journal.
“A burden shifting from the US toward Europe is ongoing and will continue as part of US defense and national security strategy,” Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said, as quoted by The Wall Street Journal. “The most important thing is to understand that it’s taking place and to do it in a very managed and controlled way, instead of the US just quickly pulling out.”
Germany hosts US nuclear weapons and has historically avoided questioning the US role as Europe’s security guarantor. However, Merz concluded last year that Trump was prepared to abandon Ukraine and was unclear in distinguishing between the victim and aggressor in the conflict, The Wall Street Journal reported. According to Merz, there are no longer clear values guiding US policy within NATO.
This shift has prompted broader discussions across Europe, with the United Kingdom, France, Poland, the Nordic countries, and even Canada supporting the contingency plan as a “coalition of the willing” within NATO, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The plan is now addressing practical military considerations, including who would oversee NATO’s air and missile defenses, reinforcement corridors into Poland and the Baltic states, logistics networks, and major regional exercises if US officers were to step aside, The Wall Street Journal reported. (ANI)
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