the United States is eyeing the Indo-Pacific while the agreement is crumbling with Europe

Thursday April 4 is the anniversary of the birth of NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty, designed to defend Europe against Soviet aggression, was signed in 1949 by 12 countries in Europe and North America. Since then, US interest appears to have shifted.

The festivities linked to NATO’s 75th anniversary will not take place until July in Washington, on the occasion of the summit bringing together the 32 members. But this military alliance is finding it increasingly difficult to hide its differences of point of view. Not only are members more and more divided, but they are on more and more issues.

There is of course the burning issue of Ukraine’s integration into the organization. There is also the strategic vision of the pivot towards Asia desired by the United States. And a “structural” file is added to the pile: what the Americans call the “share of the burden”namely the imbalance between Washington’s contribution to the alliance and that of the Europeans.

The Pacific issue and the vocation of NATO

The most urgent file a priori is the integration of Ukraine into the organization, but it is an emergency for only some of the allies. The Baltic countries and Poland are at the forefront of speeding up the process, while the United States does not want rapid accession. The secretary general of the alliance attempted a consensual formula on Wednesday April 3: the creation of a “Ukrainian mission” within NATO. It is unlikely that Joe Biden will give in to pressure and support the slightest announcement in this direction: in three months in Washington, the Americans will be in the middle of the presidential campaign, and Donald Trump recently managed to block the vote in Congress on the latest package of military aid to Ukraine.

On the other hand, Joe Biden will confirm to his allies the American desire to strengthen their position in the Pacific. The Europeans will respond that this is not NATO’s vocation. Emmanuel Macron also opposed the creation of a NATO office in Japan last year. In reality, since the end of the Bush years, the Americans have considered the Indo-Pacific as a priority. This is also the only subject on which Democrats and Republicans agree in the United States.

Europe still far from autonomy

So, in one way or another, the Americans are making the Europeans understand that they wish to disengage from NATO’s primary mission. And even withdraw American troops from the European continent, if we listen to Donald Trump in a meeting last month, where he recounts a conversation that took place when he was president: “The president of a great European nation stood up and said to me: ‘Sir, if we don’t pay and Russia attacks us, will you protect us ?’ And I said : ‘If you don’t pay, you are a delinquent. No I won’t protect you and I will encourage them to do what they want.”

However, in terms of defense, all European countries have increased their efforts in recent years. But too little and too late. Under NATO rules, each member must devote 2% of its GDP to defense spending. But last year, less than half of European allies respected the contract. The recent ammunition shortage also demonstrated that Europe was still far from being self-sufficient. And on a strategic level, the defense of 80% of European allies depends, even today, directly on the protection of the American army.