NATO says it has stepped up as U.S. reduces support
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Wednesday that the alliance is meeting its military needs, despite a decline in U.S. support.
The Pentagon has recently said it would not commit the same level of air and naval assistance to NATO allies in a time of crisis. That’s part of a broader U.S.-stated shift towards potential threats from China and elsewhere.
Before Thursday’s meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Rutte said that member nations are filling the gaps left by Washington. He said that, historically, NATO “was overly reliant on the United States. Now the U.S. has adjusted its pledged contributions, and other allies have stepped up to contribute more.”
America’s commitment to the 32-member bloc has become another source of tension with Europe. President Donald Trump surprised allies last month, announcing plans to send 5,000 more troops to Poland, even as he calls to reduce the U.S. military presence elsewhere in Europe.
Allied leaders will next meet in July at the NATO summit in Turkey.
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