US request for European allies and Canada after formally informing them they are reducing their military presence in Europe
The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) said on Wednesday that Washington expects European NATO allies and Canada to rapidly increase the number of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles and military ships with which they will contribute to the Alliance's defense plans, as American capabilities in these areas are withdrawn, wrote Reuters, taken by Agerpres.
US General Alexus Grynkewich's statement was issued on Wednesday after a meeting of NATO military planners, and comes amid the Trump administration's decision to reduce the pool of US military capabilities available to NATO in a crisis.
In May, the United States informed its allies of its decision to reduce its contribution to a framework known as the NATO Force Model.
It is the first public signal of the military areas in which the US intends to operate the first cuts.
General warns of 'unhealthy co-dependence on US forces'
They are areas where Canada and the Europeans “can step up efforts now and in the short term — as the United States reduces NATO Force Model forces in Europe and refocuses them elsewhere,” Grynkewich said.
He argues that “there has been an unhealthy co-dependence in the NATO Force Model on US forces.”
“President (Donald) Trump, (Defense) Secretary (Pete) Hegseth and others have been clear in saying that this needs to change and will change. The potential reality of a simultaneous conflict in multiple theaters of operations demands it,” added SACEUR Commander.
In the areas cited by General Grynkewich, “Allies already have or will soon have sufficient capabilities, which means that no gaps in defense are expected,” said US Colonel Martin O'Donnell, spokesman for NATO Headquarters.
“States just have to allocate to NATO the capabilities they have,” he added.
The German publication Der Spiegel had written last week that the number of American fighter jets available to NATO is to be reduced by a third, and that the United States will make available fewer destroyers and no submarines in the military capabilities fund for crisis situations.
In addition, according to Der Spiegel, Europe will be forced to provide its own reconnaissance drones. The US plans to significantly reduce the supply of armed models, the German publication also wrote.
