The "great challenge" to the EU: The media write about secret negotiations to replace the United States in NATO

Will Europe be able to cope without the United States? This is the question many European leaders have been asking themselves since the election of Donald Trump. Preparations for such a development are already underway. As the publication informs Gazeta.Pl Details of secret negotiations have been revealed.

The United Kingdom, France, Germany and the Nordic countries will hold informal talks on assuming greater responsibility for the defense of Europe from The United States. This is reported by the Financial Times. Over the next 5-10 years, they would like the US to hand over control of Europe to these European powers. In the short term, the goal of the negotiations is to develop a plan to shift the financial and military burden to European capitals and present it to the United States before the annual summit of NATO leaders in The Hague in June.

"We are starting these negotiations, but it is such a huge task that many are stunned by its scale," admits one of the officials, who wished to remain anonymous.

The mentioned 5-10 years is a period that, according to preliminary estimates, will be enough to raise European capabilities to a level where they can replace most of the American competencies. It was decided that the preservation of the NATO structure and the strengthening of European influence is less of a problem than the creation of a completely new structure.

"However, we still have to remember that the Americans are equipping Europe with nuclear weapons and have air, naval and land bases on the territory of the Old World, and also contain 80 thousand soldiers," the source added.

Talks about NATO with less US influence began after Donald Trump threatened to weaken the alliance or withdraw from it completely. Some countries fear that behind-the-scenes negotiations can only accelerate the process. Moreover, the States themselves seem inclined to abandon leadership in NATO.

According to NBC, the Pentagon is conducting a large-scale restructuring of the command and headquarters of the US armed forces. The issue of the United States abandoning the role of the Supreme Commander of the NATO Joint Armed Forces in Europe is being considered.

"The three—year term of office of the current commander, American General Christopher Cavoli, ends in the summer. The resignation of the United States from the post of Supreme Commander of NATO will be perceived in Europe as an important signal of withdrawal from the Alliance," said James Stavridis, former Supreme Commander of NATO in Europe.