COULD A EUROPEAN MILITARY GO IT ALONE?
Newsweek Europe|March 22, 2024
Donald Trump's threat to abandon NATO allies that don't pay their FAIR SHARE has put the continent on high alert and facing the prospect of defending itself without U.S. support 
ELLIE COOK
COULD A EUROPEAN MILITARY GO IT ALONE?

A PIPE DREAM, A FANTASY—JUST TWO OF the phrases bandied about whenever the idea of a European or European Union army resurfaces. This time, it was Italy's foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, who prodded the conversation awake. "If we want to be peacekeepers in the world, we need a European military," Tajani told Italy's La Stampa newspaper in early January. "This is a fundamental precondition to be able to have an effective European foreign policy."

The concept is bound up in complications from the get-go. There is no harmony on even the terminology. Would this be a European force, or one only open to European Union members? Would it be just an army, or a fully-fledged military with all the air, sea and land capabilities that come with it?

"It's never really come anywhere near anything real," former NATO official Edward Hunter Christie told Newsweek. But times are changing. War has raged in Ukraine for two years, and many NATO countries, including EU member states, have had a nasty wake-up call following years of lax defense spending. Comments from former president Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, have fueled a reevaluation of just how much Europe relies on the U.S. for its military strength. Speaking during a rally in South Carolina in February, the GOP favorite suggested the U.S. would not shield fellow NATO members who had fallen behind on defense spending.

In fact, he would "encourage" Russia to strike at these military partners.

"NATO was busted until I came along," Trump told the rally. "I said, 'Everybody's gonna pay.' They said, 'Well, if we don't pay, are you still going to protect us?' I said, 'Absolutely not.' They couldn't believe the answer."

This story is from the March 22, 2024 edition of Newsweek Europe.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the March 22, 2024 edition of Newsweek Europe.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEWSWEEK EUROPEView All
Ray Romano
Newsweek Europe

Ray Romano

THE MAJOR THING ABOUT NETFLIX'S NO GOOD DEED THAT APPEALED TO Ray Romano was that it was unlike anything he'd done before.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 27, 2024
Has J.K. Rowling Won the Culture War?
Newsweek Europe

Has J.K. Rowling Won the Culture War?

After years of backlash over trans issues, the Harry Potter author has received major business backing

time-read
7 mins  |
December 27, 2024
'This Murder Is a Symbol of the Times'
Newsweek Europe

'This Murder Is a Symbol of the Times'

Conservatives and liberals agree on the state of the health care industry following the killing of Brian Thompson

time-read
4 mins  |
December 27, 2024
The Defense Industry's Fight With ESG
Newsweek Europe

The Defense Industry's Fight With ESG

EUROPEAN DEFENSE COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY smaller businesses, are being blocked from investment they sorely need by sustainability rules, a senior NATO official and several industry figures have said.

time-read
9 mins  |
December 27, 2024
Nothin' Lasts Forever
Newsweek Europe

Nothin' Lasts Forever

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour' ends its record-breaking run..

time-read
3 mins  |
December 27, 2024
SPY IN THE SKY
Newsweek Europe

SPY IN THE SKY

CHINA FACES ACCUSATIONS of ESPIONAGE and WEAPONIZING OUTER SPACE as it BUILDS a NEW OBSERVATORY in CHILE critics say WILL BE USED for MILITARY PURPOSES

time-read
10+ mins  |
December 27, 2024
Margo Martindale
Newsweek Europe

Margo Martindale

\"WHO KNEW THAT A BARREL OF MAPLE SYRUP IS WORTH MORE THAN A barrel of oil?\"

time-read
2 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Malala Yousafzai
Newsweek Europe

Malala Yousafzai

\"AFGHANISTAN IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE world where girls are banned from access to education and women are limited from work.\"

time-read
1 min  |
December 20, 2024
In the Eyes of the Law
Newsweek Europe

In the Eyes of the Law

Jude Law is unrecognizable as an FBI agent on the trail of aneo-Naziterrorist group in real-crime drama The Order

time-read
4 mins  |
December 20, 2024
AMERICA'S Most Responsible Companies 2025
Newsweek Europe

AMERICA'S Most Responsible Companies 2025

IN THE FACE OF ISSUES LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE and wage inequality, consumers care about the impact of the businesses they interact with and companies are responding.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 20, 2024