Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.20-221224/https://www.ft.com/content/939b695c-7df8-412d-a430-df988c98f2ca
The discussions are an attempt to avoid the chaos of a unilateral US withdrawal from Nato, a fear sparked by President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to weaken or walk away from the transatlantic alliance that has protected Europe for almost eight decades.
The UK, France, Germany and the Nordics are among the countries engaged in the informal but structured discussions, according to four European officials involved. Their aim is to come up with a plan to shift the financial and military burden to European capitals and present it to the US ahead of Nato’s annual leaders’ summit in The Hague in June.
The proposal would include firm commitments on increasing European defence spending and building up military capabilities, in an effort to convince Trump to agree to a gradual handover that would allow the US to focus more on Asia.
The US, which spends more on defence than all other Nato allies combined, is indispensable to European security.
I’m so tired of media repeating this irrelevant point. In absolute numbers, yes, the US spend more — but a percentage of GDP or per capita spending are a much better representation of a country’s dedication to the alliance. Per capita the US are still first, but not by much; by GDP they are third. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/nato-spending-by-country