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NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Europe yesterday not to try to go it alone after Donald Trump's comments fueled fresh debate over whether the continent can continue to rely on the United States for protection.
"The European Union cannot protect Europe. Eighty percent of NATO's military spending comes from non-EU NATO allies," Stoltenberg said in an interview with Reuters.
The Secretary General of the Alliance said that it is clear that the security of Europe does not depend exclusively on Europe itself, but also on other NATO members such as the USA, Canada, Turkey, Norway and Iceland.
"If you only look at the map, it is clear that all those countries, which are not members of the EU, are of vital importance for the defense of Europe", he said.
He added that "any attempt to divide Europe from America will also divide Europe".
A number of European countries, especially in the East, see the US as the main guarantor of security and would oppose any move to change that, according to Reuters.
Trump, the former US president and front-runner for the Republican nomination in November's election, drew sharp criticism from Western leaders after he said he told NATO members that the US would not protect those who do not spend enough on defence. and would even encourage Russia to attack them.
Many European politicians believe Trump's comments are a wake-up call and should encourage Europe to do more to protect itself.
Stoltenberg said that European NATO members must do more to build military capacity and that they are doing so. He added, however, that this should happen in the transatlantic framework.
He said earlier yesterday that European allies would invest $380 billion in the military this year, increasing their spending to about two percent of GDP in 2024, compared to 1.85 percent in 2023./ Pamphlet
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