Can Europe still count on the US will come to its defense?

European leaders have been left stunned by the open rapprochement between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Russia-not so fine hints that the United States can abandon its obligation to defend European allies.

After World War II, Western European countries joined the US and Canada to create NATO (organization of the Northern Atlantic Treaty) to oppose the then Soviet Union.

The well -known alliance of the Alliance claims that NATO members will reach the protection of an ally attacked.

The United States has long been the power of attachment, but now the questions are being asked openly for the future of NATO – the most recently by the man who will become the Chancellor of Germany. Friedrich Mertz said his goal would be to achieve independence from the United States in terms of security.

“The events of the past week have shown that Trump has undermined NATO, undermines his secretary general, and undermines Article 5 of the Collective Defense,” said Armida Van Ridge, head of the European program in the UK -based House House.

“The idea behind it was all for one and one for all beliefs – and that is broken.”

Although the Trump administration says it is not withdrawn from NATO and remains committed to the defense partnership with Europe, it warned that “it will no longer tolerate an unbalanced relationship that encourages addiction.”

Trump constantly tells European allies to significantly increase their financial contributions – at one stage last year He openly encouraged Putin to invade those who failed to pay their billsS

But what is disturbing, experts say, is how the message is performed as the war in Ukraine – the biggest security crisis for the continent for decades – bush.

According to Trump, the United States has even begun to encourage Russian goals, said Hatham House Alander’s defense analyst. “It even seems that Trump has frankly switch countries to the Russian team.”

Part of this rotation from Trump includes:

• Praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he called earlier this month – the first phone call between the White House and the Kremlin after the full -scale invasion of Russia three years ago
• Conversations between the US and Russia last week – which, although aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, cut Ukrainian officials and European allies
• Attacks against the President of Ukraine Volodi Greanski, who Trump called a “dictator”
• Repeating Putin’s lies that Ukraine has begun the war – not Russia

“This war is much more important to Europe than for us – we have a big, beautiful ocean as a separation,” Trump said.

The phrasing of Article 5 has long been understood as an automatic obligation from Member States – and most importantly, the US military – to reach the protection of other members.

But that doesn’t always mean sending troops.

For example, if Estonia has invaded Russia, the United States may send an observation aircraft to support and “this will respond to the letter if not the spirit of Article 5,” explained Edward Arnold, an analyst at the Royal Institute of United Services, and a protective reservoir For protection and security in London.

“There is nothing to suggest that the United States should put its full strength,” he said.

“But the assumption has always been under previous American presidents that this would happen, so now people are starting to worry.”

The United States is the dominant NATO military force – performing about 70% of its capabilities and command, said G -N Arnold.

Along with pure numbers – the US has more than 100,000 troops Europe – NATO relies on the United States for key capabilities such as airplanes that charge the air, moving troops or supplies through planes and military mobility.

The United States also provides the greater part of nuclear weapons, as well as significant tools for intelligence, logistics and intelligence.

And he has always been regarded as the leader of the group. The Supreme Allied Commander for Europe – NATO’s chief military leader – has always been an American, and Americans are in most NATO roles.

“Since the United States is a military suggestion, he has always been a natural leader of NATO,” says G -Jza Ridge. No other European NATO ally can enter this space, it says “because no one has opportunities or levels of troops.”

US warned a decade before Trump that Europe will have to strengthen its protection.

With Joe Biden, he announced that his best security priority would be the Indo-Pacific Theater, against his competition with China, and thus deviated from Europe.

The invasion of Russia in Ukraine has drawn the focus of the United States on Europe. But Trump’s direction last two weeks was the impetus for dramatically rethinking.

Mertz said after his victory in Germany that his “absolute priority would be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible, so that step by step we can achieve independence from the United States.”

He even said that he was not sure if leaders of the union meet in June, “he will still talk about NATO in his current form or whether we will have to establish an independent European defense ability much faster.”

Once in his post, Mertz will be one of the European large three, which includes the United Kingdom and France in addition to Germany.

The United Kingdom Prime Minister heads to Washington on Thursday after a visit there on Monday by French President Emmanuel Macron.

“I don’t think there are good opportunities for Europe right now. It’s more about avoiding the oldest,” said Gnnold.

“This is about mitigating the risk. It’s not about maintaining NATO in its current form.”

Europeans act quickly. Greece, Norway and others expressed fears while Denmark announced a significant increase in defense spending last week.

The United Kingdom also announced an increase on Tuesday, reducing foreign assistance to finance the additional £ 13 billion annually. Kyar Starmer warned that it was a “painful” choice, but said the country’s defense and security were in the first place.

G -N Arnold says that the prices that Europeans will have to pay, especially since “we have now sent so many things to Ukraine, our own shares are quite dry.”

Now we see what a “long -term change” is in the global security order, he said.

“The US is not the ally that it has ever been and is very, very unlikely to ever return to that opinion,” he said.