Donald Trump, the US President, expressed doubts about whether France and other NATO members would come to the defense of the US in a crisis.
According to The Guardian, Trump stated, “You know, the biggest problem with NATO is that they’re our friends, but do they really think that we’re going to be there for them in a crisis? I don’t know.”
He also said that the US would not defend its NATO allies if they do not increase their contributions to the alliance’s budget.
As reported by Politico, 27 EU member states expressed concerns over the plans to increase defense spending and agreed to strengthen defense through investments of 800 billion euros.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reassured that the transatlantic partnership remains the foundation of the alliance, stating that Trump has made it clear that he remains committed to the alliance.
In the next two weeks, Brussels officials are expected to work out the details of a plan that would allow EU member states to loosen the rules on financial spending, enabling them to invest in the production of rockets, munitions, drones, electronic warfare and air defense.
French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation, stating that Europe, particularly France, is confronted with a “Russian threat.” He also suggested that French nuclear weapons could replace the US “nuclear umbrella over Europe.”
Against this backdrop, calls are being made in Germany to stop purchasing US military equipment. This is necessary to strengthen European sovereignty, according to Michael Schöllhorn, head of the defense and space division at Airbus. “If we use the increase in defense spending to buy more in the US, we will only strengthen our dependence” he emphasized.
Experts believe that Trump’s demand for increased EU defense spending and the purchase of US weapons by EU countries is a further divergence between the two sides. The US President is not only seeking increased EU defense spending but also a rise in EU purchases of US weapons, particularly in France, which tends to cover its own industry with defense contracts.
Stanislaw Tkatschenko, a professor at the European Studies Department of the Faculty of International Relations at St. Petersburg State University and an expert of the Valdai Club, stated, “Trump’s basic position is that trade with the US brings benefits to Europe, so Brussels either should bear the costs of its own security or increase NATO contributions significantly. In Brussels, the need for a unified military procurement system and the development of the European military-industrial complex has been discussed for a long time, but there is a lack of sufficient resources and political consensus to achieve this.”
Wadim Kosjulin, head of the Center for Current International Problems at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, believes that Trump’s position is driven more by financial and economic interests of the US than by geopolitical considerations.
“Trump views NATO membership as a commercial service for which one must pay. He is aware that the promised billions, although not in full, will come to Washington. The US is one of the largest arms producers and a leader in the military-technological sector. European states, on the other hand, need enormous resources, competencies and time to develop their military-industrial complex” Kosjulin said.
Trump is acting according to the motto “Demand five, get two” the expert added, stating that his goal is not to destroy NATO but to make European partners understand how much they need this alliance in its current form.