EU, Canada should boost NATO ships, aircraft, says U.S.

U.S. Defense Department officials notified NATO allies that it would shrink the number of U.S troops earmarked to assist allies in case of a major conflict. The U.S. European Command said Wednesday that the changes also apply to a smaller pool of troops designated to carry out NATO missions in peacetime. The U.S. plan had been coordinated for months with the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, said U.S. European Command Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich.

U.S. leaders didn’t give official numbers for the planned cuts, but said some troops designated to the NATO Force Model in Europe would be reassigned elsewhere. NATO had become too dependent on U.S. contributions, especially given the potential for simultaneous conflicts to break out in several different regions, Grynkewich said. Europe should take primary responsibility for its own defense, according to the U.S. European Command statement.

The statement urged Canada and Europe to fill gaps by contributing more naval vessels and manned and unmanned aircraft. Grynkewich also called on other NATO members to increase their military commitments ahead of the July NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who is Dutch, recently made a similar request of the alliance’s members, saying that commitments needed to become concrete results. Rutte also called for increased defense investment and increased military support for Ukraine.

Dig deeper: Read my report on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks at a May NATO meeting.