"NATO Requests 30% Increase in Weapons for Europe and Canada... Security Preparedness Without the US"

Amid U.S. President Donald Trump's attempts to distance himself from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European security, Bloomberg reported on the 20th (local time) that NATO plans to request its European allies and Canada to increase their stockpiles of weapons and military equipment by 30% over the coming years.

NATO is currently discussing setting new targets for the military capabilities of its member countries. NATO defense ministers plan to adopt these new targets at a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, in early June.

A senior NATO official stated that while the United States can meet the new targets with its existing equipment, most allies will likely need to increase their defense spending to more than 3% of their gross domestic product (GDP). It is expected to take 5 to 15 years to implement the new targets, which will help strengthen European and Canadian forces within NATO.

President Trump has long demanded that other NATO members increase their defense spending to as much as 5% of GDP, accusing them of "free-riding" by not spending enough on defense. He also appears to be prioritizing the Indo-Pacific region and signaling a withdrawal from European security.

European countries are also developing long-term plans to transfer the financial and military roles that the U.S. has shouldered within NATO to European nations. The Financial Times (FT), citing multiple European officials, reported that the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Nordic military powers are reviewing such plans. These countries intend to present them to the U.S. ahead of the NATO annual summit in June.

This is to prevent the worst-case scenario of the U.S. unilaterally withdrawing from NATO. Although the U.S. has reaffirmed its commitment to the collective defense principle under Article 5 of the NATO Charter, many European countries are concerned that the Trump administration might drastically reduce troop or weapon deployments or withdraw from NATO altogether. They plan to propose increased European defense spending and military expansion to allow for a gradual transfer of military power before any full U.S. withdrawal.

The U.S. spends more on defense than all other NATO allies combined, making it indispensable to European security. The European air forces carry U.S. nuclear weapons, and approximately 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe. Officials estimate that it would take about 5 to 10 years to raise European military capabilities to a level that could replace the U.S.

One official said, "Increasing spending, sharing the burden, and gradually reducing dependence on the U.S. is the only way we can proceed. We have just started these conversations, but the challenge is so large that many people are overwhelmed by its scale."

However, some express concerns about these discussions. There is a possibility that the U.S. might withdraw from European security even faster. Additionally, there is skepticism that the unpredictable President Trump would agree to such procedures in the first place, according to the official.