Europe preps 'European NATO' backup plan
European officials are actively preparing contingency defense plans in case the United States, under President Donald Trump, withdraws from NATO or significantly reduces its participation. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the entire NATO structure currently relies on American leadership across logistics, intelligence, and top military command, prompting Europeans to seek increased presence in command and control roles and supplement US assets with their own. Germany, which had long resisted French calls for greater European defense autonomy, has now backed this initiative, marking a shift toward a 'coalition of the willing' within the alliance. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that the alliance will become 'more Europe-oriented,' reflecting these ongoing preparations.
The Wall Street Journal report provides new detail, specifying that the plan aims to 'remake the alliance into a more Europe-led security bloc'.
New reporting from Western press confirms the development of the contingency plan, framing it as a response to Trump's recent actions and statements.
The Wall Street Journal report adds that Germany now supports greater European defense autonomy, a shift from its previous resistance, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has commented on the alliance becoming 'more Europe-oriented.'