France questions if US support for NATO is 'perennial'
France's defence minister questioned on 18 March 2019 whether the US commitment to the NATO alliance is ‘perennial’ and said Europe needs to build defence ‘autonomy’ as that question goes unanswered.
With Washington increasingly focused on the strategic challenge from China, Florence Parly said, ‘a question mark has emerged’ over the transatlantic alliance. Those posing the question would not be reassured, she said, ‘by the current atmosphere of withdrawal: withdrawal from battlefields, from treaties, from trade pacts.’
‘What Europeans are worried about is this: will the US commitment (to NATO) be perennial? Should we assume that it will go on as was the case in the past 70 years?’ Parly asked the Atlantic Council in Washington ahead of a meeting with Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.
The minister said she was most concerned about President Donald Trump apparently tying the US commitment and Europe's readiness to spend more on defence, including buying more US defence equipment. ‘The alliance should be unconditional, otherwise it is not an alliance. NATO's solidarity clause is called Article V, not article F-35,’ she said, referring to the US fighter jet.
Parly conceded Trump's criticism that NATO's European members need to spend more on shared defense, but she said it would be good to build up a measure of autonomy so as not to overly depend on the US military. The Europeans ‘have started to look honestly at what they would be really able to do if left on their own,’ she said. ‘Building a European autonomy should never be seen as a move against the US. We want America solidly steeped in NATO. Autonomy should be a variation on friendship.’
‘Every time the US has retreated from Europe, threats have come back to haunt the US itself,’ she added.
Parly also gave support for the continued presence of US forces in Syria, and said France could take part - an issue she would be discussing with Shanahan. ‘Today, we are carefully studying the recent US offer to maintain a residual presence, in cooperation with a few partners,’ she said.
More from Defence Notes
-
Spain unveils new multi-billion euro defence investment plan
The new plan outlined how Spain would reach 2% of its GDP spend on defence by 2025, with €1.9 billion earmarked for new equipment acquisition with several land, naval and air platforms disclosed to be replaced or upgraded.
-
New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia
This budget will be spent over the next four years and nearly doubles the country’s defence spending as part of GDP to 2%.
-
UK Chancellor commits £2 billion to make the country a “defence industrial superpower”
Rachel Reeves announced port upgrades, protected budgets for innovation and investment in novel technologies.
-
Avalon 2025: Australian defence budget meets the low expectations of show attendees
The Australian Budget was marked by tax cuts and a looming general election which led to little hope that there would be a substantial defence boost even with a big bill for nuclear submarines due.
-
Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market
The communications company Gilat launched its new Gilat Defense division at the Satellite 2025 expo, with future solutions aimed at US military customers.