UK, France, Germany among countries involved in informal discussions on a managed transfer
Europe’s biggest military powers are drawing up plans to take on greater responsibility for the continent’s defence. This includes an opening to the Trump administration for a managed transition over the next five to 10 years. The news was reported by the London-based Financial Times. The discussions are an attempt to avoid the chaos of a unilateral US withdrawal from NATO. Fears have been fuelled by President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to weaken or abandon the transatlantic alliance that has protected Europe for nearly eight decades. According to the FT, the UK, France, Germany and the Nordics are among the countries involved in the informal but structured discussions, citing four European officials involved.
Their goal is to come up with a plan to shift the financial and military burden to European capitals and present it to the US before the annual summit of NATO leaders in The Hague in June.
The proposal would include strong commitments to increase European defense spending and build military capabilities, in an effort to persuade Trump to agree to a gradual withdrawal that would allow the United States to focus more on Asia. The United States, which spends more on defense than all other NATO allies combined, is indispensable to European security. In addition to its nuclear deterrent, Washington provides military capabilities that continental allies do not possess, operates air, naval and troop bases, and has 80 troops stationed in Europe.
It would take about five to 10 years of this increased spending to raise European capabilities to a level where they could replace most US capabilities, officials told the FT, not including US nuclear deterrence.