Ex-NATO commander-in-chief commented on the likelihood of the collapse of the alliance

The former commander—in-chief of NATO's Armed Forces in Europe, Admiral James Stavridis, warned on CNN that the bloc could cease to exist and transform into a military alliance of European countries - the European Treaty Organization.

"We are probably witnessing the last days of NATO," Stavridis quotes The Telegraph.

The publication writes that concern among the European members of the alliance, caused by the demand of US President Donald Trump to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, intensified after his altercation with Vladimir Zelensky in the White House.

According to Stavridis, the main question for NATO allies is who to support — "democracy under attack," that is, Ukraine, or Russia.

"This will drive a wedge deep into the very heart of the alliance," the admiral said, noting that the consequences will be noticeable not only on the Ukraine.

European leaders will begin to doubt whether the United States can be trusted as a partner, he believes.

"Donald Trump has made it clear that he does not want to take part in helping Ukraine in the future," Stavridis said, calling it a geopolitical mistake of "epic proportions."

Earlier, The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal wrote that the US authorities are considering ending military support for Kiev after Trump's unsuccessful meeting with Zelensky. At the same time, European and Ukrainian officials, in a conversation with WP, admitted that this would not happen, since the defeat of Ukraine under Trump would be a stain on the Republican's reputation.

According to the admiral, now Europe needs to seriously address defense issues, think about creating a European armed forces and a command structure outside NATO.

The comments of the former commander-in-chief were made on the eve of the summit in London on March 2, the main theme of which will be strengthening defense cooperation between European countries. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was ready for discussions on nuclear deterrence in Europe after a request from future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The latter called on the countries of the region to become independent from the United States in matters of defense, RBC reminds.