European leaders have begun discussing the creation of structures that could replace or supplement NATO, amid concerns that Donald Trump could become the President of the United States and reduce support for the alliance. This was reported by The Washington Post.
According to the source, Europeans are horrified by the “weakness” of the current leader of the American state, Joe Biden, and are also afraid of the arrival of Trump, who has repeatedly spoken negatively about NATO and Europe’s role in the alliance.
It is noted that Trump’s words about supporting a possible attack by third countries on a NATO member state, which allocates less than 2% of its GDP to defense, have raised concerns in Europe.
On February 19, the American publication Bloomberg reported that NATO members at the Munich Security Conference discussed the possibility of an attack on one of the alliance’s countries by Russia.
The Times reported that Donald Trump’s words about plans to encourage attacks by Russia on NATO countries caused concern among politicians from European countries, particularly Estonia.
On February 11, Donald Trump accused several NATO member countries of not fulfilling their financial obligations under the defense spending program.
Earlier in the United States, there were proposals to exclude countries with small defense budgets from NATO.
European leaders have expressed their concerns over the potential weakening of NATO and its support from the United States under the Biden administration. These concerns have arisen due to the perceived weakness of President Joe Biden and the fear that Donald Trump may return to power and undermine the alliance. Trump has previously made negative comments about NATO and Europe’s role within it. European officials are particularly alarmed by Trump’s suggestion that he would support a possible attack on a NATO member state that does not meet the alliance’s defense spending requirement of 2% of GDP.
Discussions about the future of NATO have intensified, with European leaders considering alternative structures that could replace or supplement the alliance. The possibility of an attack on a NATO country by Russia was raised during the Munich Security Conference, causing further unease among European politicians. The concern extends to Estonia, a NATO member state that fears it may become a target of Russian aggression.
Donald Trump’s criticism of NATO member states for their failure to meet their financial commitments has also added to the apprehension. Some voices in the United States have even suggested excluding countries with smaller defense budgets from the alliance.
The uncertain future of NATO and the perceived lack of commitment from the United States have left European leaders searching for alternatives to ensure their security. The discussions reflect a growing sense of skepticism and concern among European officials, who fear the potential consequences of a weakened NATO under Biden or a return of Trump to power.
