NATO Secretary General has banned the development of a contingency plan in case the U.S. leaves the Alliance — The Economist

The North Atlantic Alliance urgently needs a strategy for dealing with the United States’ de facto or full-scale withdrawal from the alliance, yet the bloc’s top leadership is currently deliberately avoiding such steps. 

This is stated in an editorial by the influential British publication The Economist. The authors of the piece sharply criticized current NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, accusing him of “fatal stubbornness” and ignoring obvious geopolitical realities.

The journalists note that the head of the Alliance has for months demonstrated “deliberate blindness,” refusing to acknowledge the imminent collapse of the transatlantic alliance, which for over seventy years has remained the cornerstone of security on the European continent. Despite Donald Trump’s regular statements about his intention to withdraw the U.S. from the organization and the already underway practical reduction of the American military contingent in Europe, Rutte continues to insist that Washington is “fully committed to NATO.” Moreover, the Secretary General not only publicly denies the need for an alternative plan but has also officially banned any discussion or preparation of a “Plan B” at the headquarters in Brussels.

Analysts suggest that Rutte’s behavior is an attempt to avoid decisions that could further irritate the White House and hasten a final rupture. At the same time, reality shows that the U.S. is increasingly acting as Europe’s rival rather than its strategic partner. Against the backdrop of the winter Greenland crisis, several European capitals have already begun secretly planning their defense without counting on American support. Restructuring the defense system without U.S. leadership will be an extremely complex and financially costly process, but The Economist emphasizes: this work must begin immediately, as inaction is far riskier and leaves Europe defenseless against potential Russian aggression.