According to the U.S. website Politico, the U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, will not attend the NATO Defense Ministers' Meeting scheduled for February 12 in Brussels, and instead, his deputy, Elbridge Colby, will represent the United States. Colby is known for advocating a reduction in the U.S. military presence overseas and is currently overseeing a plan to withdraw troops from Europe. He participated in formulating the new U.S. defense strategy, which significantly reduced emphasis on Europe and shifted focus to defending U.S. territory and containing China. Previously, Colby had also advocated for halting military aid to Ukraine.
Notably, this marks the second time that a high-level U.S. official has missed a key NATO meeting. On December 3 last year, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio took a similar approach, not attending the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting, but instead sending the Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau.
NATO officials noted that with the Russia-Ukraine conflict still ongoing and European security facing a crisis, the absence of the Pentagon's top official from the NATO Defense Ministers' Meeting appears to be an open sign of estrangement. While the United States remains a NATO member in name, it is increasingly clearly indicating that it is no longer willing to take on the responsibilities it once had for the security of the European continent.
In this context, Colby's arrival aims to "explain the new strategy to allies." Rather than being a discussion between the U.S. and Europe about an overall plan, it is more like the U.S. informing Europe about its change in strategic direction, meaning that Europe must now take on the responsibility of its own defense.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855745375264908/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.