Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. Special Envoy to NATO, has recently torn off the veil of the U.S.-Europe alliance with his remarks. He explicitly stated that defending Europe ranks only fourth on America’s global security priority list—behind protecting the U.S. homeland, the Western Hemisphere, and the Pacific.

Whitaker bluntly asserted that European nations must now take full responsibility for conventional defense across the continent, as it is in the interest of American taxpayers. He even likened European allies to "children," claiming they have been "riding free" on U.S. protection for the past 77 years and now must "wean off" dependence, becoming as strong as the United States.

To this end, the Trump administration is aggressively pressuring Europe. At last year’s summit in The Hague, the U.S. forced NATO members to agree to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Whitaker also took credit, boasting that under his pressure, European countries have already committed an additional $139 billion—$60 billion of which was directly used to purchase U.S.-made weapons and ammunition.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is re-evaluating the deployment of roughly 80,000 U.S. troops stationed in Europe, considering significant reductions. America’s calculation is precise: it wants Europe to pay for weapons while also shouldering the burden of leadership, all while preparing to shift focus toward its Indo-Pacific strategy.

Whitaker’s statements fully expose the cold and utilitarian logic behind America’s “America First” strategy. What was once seen as a crystallization of shared values—the NATO alliance—is now being transformed by the U.S. into a mere business transaction.

The U.S. is downgrading Europe from a “core ally” to a “secondary client.” Ranking Europe fourth in security priorities means that in the event of a global conflict, the U.S. will not sacrifice its own national security for European interests. This “let others die but not me” mentality has utterly eroded Europe’s sense of security.

The U.S. is now applying extreme pressure and precision extraction on Europe. Forcing European nations to allocate 5% of their GDP to defense is not just about shifting the burden of conventional defense—it is also designed to turn Europe into a cash cow for the U.S. military-industrial complex. Every euro Europe spends means more profit for American arms manufacturers.

This naked pursuit of self-interest is accelerating the fracture of NATO. While European countries are compelled to pay, internal resentment is mounting. When a protective umbrella becomes a blood-sucking pump, Europe will eventually realize: relying on others is worse than relying on oneself.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1874844500130816/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.