WHAT HAPPENED: European countries are developing a contingency plan to maintain NATO’s defense capabilities without U.S. involvement should President Donald J. Trump withdraw American forces from Europe following the alliance’s lack of support for the U.S. during the war in Iran. Several European countries, including Britain, Spain, and Italy, obstructed the use of bases on their territory to assist operations against Iran, angering President Donald J. Trump.

DETAIL:  The emerging “European NATO” concept focuses on shifting leadership, boosting defense spending, and strengthening military capabilities to reduce reliance on the U.S., especially against potential threats like Russia. Germany is playing a key role in this shift, abandoning its long-standing reluctance to expand its military role. The effort includes increasing arms production, improving logistics and intelligence systems, and reconsidering policies like conscription in some countries.

KEY QUOTE: “The basic message to our American friends is that after all these decades it’s time for Europe to take more responsibility for its own security and defense.” – Finnish President Alexander Stubb

SECONDARY QUOTE: “NATO must become more European in order to remain trans-Atlantic.” – German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

IMPACT: The plan comes after years of tensions over European NATO members’ refusal to spend as much as they agreed to on defense, NATO members’ refusal to allow the U.S. to use various air bases in its conflict with Iran, and Trump’s ambitions for Greenland. It could, in theory, make Europe less reliant on U.S. military might, but it is unclear whether European countries currently have the industrial capacity to rival the U.S. or Russia’s military output, even with substantially increased spending.