A major shift in US military planning could reshape NATO's wartime readiness and force Europe to shoulder more of its own defence burden.
The United States is reportedly preparing to reduce the military resources it would make available to Europe during a major conflict, raising fresh questions about NATO's future structure and the balance of responsibilities within the alliance.
The administration of President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to reduce the pool of US military forces and assets available to NATO during major crises or conflicts, according to sources familiar with the matter.pic.twitter.com/xnQsl072gw
Areportbased on German outlet Der Spiegel said the US intends to reduce several military assets currently earmarked for NATO under wartime planning arrangements. The proposed reductions include halving the number of strategic bombers available to the alliance and cutting fighter jet commitments by roughly one-third. The US Navy is also expected to reduce destroyer availability while ending submarine contributions under the proposed framework.
The reported briefing was allegedly delivered by US envoy Alexander Velez-Green during a closed-door meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels last week. Officials were told that further details would be presented during a NATO force generation conference scheduled for early June.
The changes would also affect aerial support assets. Outlets report that the US plans to reduce armed drone provisions and scale back mid-air refuelling capabilities available to allies during a crisis. Europe may instead be expected to provide more of its own reconnaissance drone capacity.
The reported drawdown aligns with a broader US push for European nations to become more self-reliant in defence matters.
President Donald Trumphas repeatedly criticised NATO members for what he views as inadequate military spending and overdependence on Washington. His administration has previously signalled troop reductions in Europe and urged allies to strengthen their own military capabilities.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently suggested thatchangesin US force posture would likely happen gradually and in a structured way. He acknowledged that discussions around reducing American contributions had been underway for more than a year and linked the shift to increased defence investment from European allies and Canada.
The alliance itself has also acknowledged an 'over-reliance' on American resources in force planning. NATO officials indicated that growing defence expenditure across Europe could allow responsibilities within the alliance to be reorganised over time.
Source: International Business Times UK
