US Urges NATO Allies to Bolster Military Power

U.S. European Command has officially informed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies that they must fill the gaps created by the reduction of U.S. military assets themselves. The U.S. had previously announced its intention to reduce its contributions to the NATO Force Model, designed for rapid response to security crises, including the threat from Russia.

Gen. Alexis Grenkevich, commander of U.S. European Command and supreme commander of Allied Forces Europe, expressed his expectation that European nations and Canada would swiftly increase the number of manned and unmanned aircraft and warships required for NATO's defense plans. This decision aims to address the systemic issues within the existing NATO defense system (NATO Force Model), where an unhealthy level of interdependence among allies has persisted.

Jim Townsend, Senior Fellow for Atlantic Security at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), a U.S. think tank, pointed out that now is not the time to reduce U.S. forces in Europe or decrease military contributions pledged to NATO.