Senior NATO military leaders say there are no signs that the United States plans to leave the Alliance or withdraw its troops from Europe.
In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, NATO Military Committee Chair Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone said he does not expect a major U.S. pullback from its NATO commitments. However, he stressed that Europe needs to take on greater responsibility – a process already underway through major investment commitments agreed in The Hague last year. The first results, he added, should be visible at the next summit in Ankara.
Through investments and the procurement of air defense systems, electronic warfare capabilities, and artificial intelligence technologies, European allies will be able to close existing gaps and rotate forces.
“If we look not at words or declarations, but at the facts, there is already enough evidence to say that the Alliance is strong. We simply need to uphold this confidence by fulfilling our commitments,” the admiral said.
With Donald Trump’s return, relations between the United States and its allies across the Atlantic have significantly deteriorated.
The new U.S. President has largely accused Europeans of not spending enough on their own defense and relying on America’s security umbrella.
Under pressure from Trump, NATO countries ultimately committed at the summit in The Hague to gradually increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
At the same time, the operation against Iran has given the U.S. president another reason for dissatisfaction – this time over what he sees as insufficient support from European allies.
In Washington, plans are already being developed to punish ‘underperforming’ allies, and NATO’s future has once again become a topic of debate.
However, Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, who chairs the NATO Military Committee, assured that while some reduction in U.S. involvement in the Alliance is possible, he currently sees no signs of preparations for a large-scale withdrawal of American forces.
Meanwhile, the United States is considering possible measures to penalize NATO allies that did not support U.S. operations in the war with Iran.
