U.S. to sharply cut NATO force contribution — report
REUTERS/Jason Reed/
The United States plans to sharply reduce the military
capabilities the U.S. makes available to NATO
and expects European countries to quickly make up the shortfall, German weekly
Der Spiegel reported
on May 26, citing sources.
Late last week, a Pentagon official informed allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels of Washington’s intention to significantly reduce its contribution to the NATO Force Model, the system the alliance agreed on after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that defines which forces and assets member countries must be prepared to make available in a crisis.
Der Spiegel said Washington wants to cut the number of strategic bombers, combat aircraft, destroyers, and reconnaissance drones available to NATO. The report added that Washington no longer plans to provide submarines to the alliance.
European diplomats had expected gradual changes, but the scale of the proposed reductions was much larger than anticipated, the magazine said.
The report said the United States does not intend to abandon nuclear deterrence in Europe. Instead, Washington wants European allies to assume the bulk of the continent’s conventional defense.
NATO expects European countries to present proposals soon to
help compensate for any potential shortfalls in alliance military capabilities.
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