European leaders should prepare for a possible US withdrawal from the North Atlantic Alliance, as the likelihood of such a development is indeed high. This was warned by the former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, retired US Admiral James Stavridis.
Points of attention
- Should the US leave NATO, the formation of ETO, possibly including Canada, or a new security organization under the EU could be potential replacements, according to Stavridis.
- Admiral Stavridis emphasizes the gravity of a US withdrawal, describing it as 'a mistake of epic proportions,' while highlighting the difficulty in convincing President Trump otherwise.
The US may still leave NATO
According to Stavridis, the harsh rhetoric against the Alliance from US President Donald Trump's team cannot be ignored.
Against this background, the former commander of the bloc's forces calls on Europe to think about what the world would look like if the United States did leave NATO.
Stavridis predicted that withdrawing the US from the Alliance would be "a mistake of epic proportions," but it would be extremely difficult to convince Trump of this.
If the US leaves NATO, the organization will collapse. What could come in its place? Perhaps the European Treaty Organization, or ETO. It could be based on the current NATO treaty, but without the US. Canada may decide to stay in the ETO; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to London for an emergency meeting over the weekend, and his country needs European security partners in the Arctic, the retired general warned.
According to Stavridis, an alternative in this case could be the creation of a new security organization under the auspices of the EU.
