US allies in NATO fear that Washington could link talks on a new European security architecture to the upcoming review of the US military presence in Europe. The review is expected to be completed in December, Politico reports, citing Alliance diplomats.
“This is the elephant in the room,” one of the diplomats told the publication. According to the diplomat, discussions on European security with the current level of US military presence are one thing, but negotiations based on what the US presence might look like in the future are quite another. “And nobody knows what that will be,” the diplomat added.
European allies were not informed in advance
Politico spoke to 12 NATO diplomats, European Union representatives and European government officials who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. According to three Alliance diplomats, the allies were not informed in advance about the US plans, and there is skepticism toward them in many European capitals.
The administration of President Donald Trump is discussing new security arrangements in Europe, including relations with Russia. Jared Kushner presents the initiative as a framework for ongoing security consultations, reliable crisis communications, greater military transparency, reciprocal measures to limit the risk of escalation and long-term stability.
The proposal is causing concern in Europe, as the allies fear that decisions about the continent’s future could be made without sufficient involvement from European countries and as part of a broader agreement between Washington and Moscow.
NATO and the EU identified as the foundation of security
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas says that Europe already has a security architecture in which NATO and the European Union have their respective roles. She insists that Ukraine should be part of this architecture and warns that Russia must not be given a veto over European security.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda also says that Europe must have a place at the table in negotiations on peace in Ukraine and on the future European security architecture.
Against this backdrop, working talks between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by the US, are planned for November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi. European diplomats expect the issue to also be discussed at an upcoming informal meeting of EU leaders.
Washington is reviewing its military role
The Pentagon began a six-month review of the US military presence and base infrastructure in Europe in June. The process covers troop numbers, access to bases and the role of US forces in NATO’s defense plans.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that European allies must take greater responsibility for the continent’s conventional defense. No decision on any specific withdrawal of US forces has yet been publicly announced, but it is precisely the uncertainty surrounding the review’s eventual outcome that is heightening concern among the allies.
Sources: situation.mto.sh, hromadske.ua, washingtonpost.com