Europe's Defense Commitment
NATO Commander Reports Europe Backfilled Most Military Gaps Left by US Reductions
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Europe has stepped up to cover most of the military gaps left by recent U.S. cutbacks, NATO's top commander said. Gen. Alex Grynkewich told reporters that European allies have "largely filled" the holes created after Washington pulled back key assets from the alliance's crisis plans, according to US News.
The U.S. previously announced it would stop providing an aircraft carrier, support ships, aerial refueling planes, and fighter jets to NATO's readiness plans. Those are major assets that Europe now has to replace on its own, Newsday reported.
What the US Pulled Back and Why It Matters
The U.S. decision targeted assets tied to the NATO Force Model — the alliance's main plan for making military forces from all 32 member nations available in times of peace, crisis, or war. Think of it as NATO's emergency playbook. When the U.S. pulled its contributions, it left real holes in that playbook, according to MyNorthwest.
The missing assets were not small. An aircraft carrier, support ships, aerial refueling planes, and fighter jets are among the most powerful tools in any military force. Losing them from NATO's crisis plans forced European nations to scramble, Yahoo News reported.
Europe Races to Fill the Gaps Left Behind
For weeks, Gen. Grynkewich worked directly with European allies to close the gaps. He has now said that most of those gaps have been filled. European nations offered up their own military equipment and forces to replace what the U.S. pulled back, according to KDH News.
The speed of Europe's response signals a shift in how the alliance operates. Allies are taking on more responsibility rather than relying on Washington to anchor NATO's crisis plans. That is a notable change from how the alliance has worked for decades, Oskaloosa noted.
NATO's Bigger Push Toward European Self-Reliance
The backfilling effort is part of a broader trend. European nations have been under pressure to spend more on defense and carry more of the NATO burden. The U.S. cutbacks appear to have accelerated that shift, pushing allies to act faster than they might have otherwise, US News reported.
Gen. Grynkewich has also been preparing contingency plans in case of an attack on Europe — a sign that NATO is war-gaming serious scenarios. The alliance is not just patching holes. It is rebuilding its plans from the ground up with more European muscle, according to Newsday.
What Still Remains Unresolved for the Alliance
While Gen. Grynkewich said "most" gaps have been filled, that word leaves room for concern. Some shortfalls may still exist. Aircraft carriers and aerial refueling planes are not easy to replace — only a handful of European nations operate them at any real scale, MyNorthwest noted.
The long-term question is whether Europe can sustain this level of contribution. Filling gaps in a crisis plan is one thing. Keeping those forces ready and funded year after year is another challenge entirely, according to Yahoo News.
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