German Media: U.S. Reduces Military Allocation to NATO: What It Means for Europe
For years, the United States has urged Europe to contribute more to NATO's defense capabilities. At the end of May, the U.S. Department of Defense notified its allies that Washington would reduce its military allocation to the "NATO force model." This Thursday, NATO defense ministers convened to discuss the implications of this change.
At the beginning of this month, European and American media reported that the U.S. would cut its military allocation to NATO in the future, including a significant reduction in strategic bombers and fighter aircraft, as well as the redeployment of one U.S. aircraft carrier. The number of U.S. troops stationed in Europe—currently around 80,000—remains unaffected.
What does this mean for Europe?
First, Europe must find alternatives for the lost military equipment. While replacing fighter jets is relatively feasible, only the United States, China, and Russia currently possess strategic bombers.
According to Claudia Major, an expert at the German Marshall Fund, Europe’s combat effectiveness hinges on several key capabilities: air and missile defense, deep precision strike capacity, logistics support, command and control, reconnaissance, target acquisition, and cyber capabilities—all areas where Europe remains significantly underdeveloped.
How to defend against Russia?
For NATO, Russia is seen as the greatest threat.
To ensure defensive capability against Russia and reduce reliance on the United States, Europeans aim to expand their domestic arms production and modernize and integrate their defense industries.
A May study by Greenpeace concluded that even without U.S. involvement, NATO countries still hold advantages over Russia across major military categories. However, co-author Alexander Lurz expressed concern: "These technologies are highly valued by nations eager to retain them domestically and create jobs. This leads countries to resist ceding control." He noted that the collapse of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project exemplifies the entrenched resistance within the defense sector.
The Trump administration has not yet raised questions about NATO’s “nuclear sharing” arrangements.
This Thursday, European defense ministers held consultations with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding next steps. Discussions are expected to continue until the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, scheduled for early July.
Source: DW
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868653853907968/
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