European Union parliamentarians and top security officials discussed behind closed doors the possibility of creating an alternative to NATO.
The talks come as former US President Donald Trump threatens to cut defense spending and end pre-emptive steps to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from expanding the Ukraine war westward towards the rest of Europe.
“It’s clear to everyone: whether it’s Trump or Biden, the countries in the EU must unite and step up their security game. That’s homework,” said Hannah Neumann, a German member of the European Parliament, according to the American newspaper The Washington Post.
The news report points out that there was a sense of unease among top European officials at the Munich Security Conference (MSC), as Trump-supporting Ohio Republican Senator JD Vance said during an event at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel that the Trump administration could initiate talks with the Russian government and withdraw from Europe.
“The problem with Europe is that it does not provide enough of a deterrent on its own. I think the American security blanket has allowed European security to atrophy,” Vance told the audience at the event.
He even said that Russian President Putin does not threaten European security.
“I don’t think Vladimir Putin is an existential threat to Europe. And to the extent that he is, (it shows that) Europe needs to take a more aggressive role in its own security. The fact that he’s a bad guy doesn’t mean we can’t engage in basic diplomacy and give advantage to American interests,” Vance said, as reported by The Washington Post.
But their concerns were fueled by a comment Trump made during a campaign rally earlier this month. Trump has told his supporters that he will encourage Russia to do whatever they want” to NATO members who do not spend enough on defense.
After those comments were made, European officials discussed behind closed doors the possibility of building a continent-wide NATO complement. It would operate in conjunction with US security guarantees, but in the event that US guarantees are withdrawn, it will serve as a credible alternative.
“When the former and perhaps future leader of the free world says he would sit back and watch Russia attack NATO allies, we need to rethink what America’s commitment to Europe and Ukraine might look like. We must hope for the best, but we must prepare for the worst.” the newspaper quoted the words of a senior EU security official.
The official also said it meant withdrawing support for Ukraine and allowing Putin to destabilize the region.
At this point, these discussions are stuck in old disagreements. France and Germany disagree on who will bear the economic burden. Eastern European nations doubt Western Europe’s commitment to the Russian threat. There is also uncertainty about the establishment of a continental nuclear shield, and what is more worrying is that such a shield would still pale in comparison to Russia’s arsenal in a nuclear conflict.
