The Trump administration’s plan to reduce the military capabilities available to NATO in a major European crisis has triggered a new round of strategic anxiety across the alliance.
According to recent reporting, Washington is preparing to tell allies that the United States will shrink the pool of forces and assets it would make available to assist European NATO members during a major emergency. NATO officials have sought to present the adjustment as gradual and structured, but the political message is unmistakable, Europe is being pushed toward greater responsibility for its own defense.
The timing is especially sensitive. Russia has warned that the risks of a direct NATO-Russia clash are increasing, while European governments remain under pressure to maintain support for Ukraine and reinforce eastern defenses.
For Brussels, Warsaw and Berlin, the issue is no longer whether the United States remains inside NATO. The more important question is what kind of NATO Washington now intends to lead.
