Trump's tantrums over Nato are prompting European leaders to think the unthinkable
Source: The Guardian
Trump’s tantrums over Nato are prompting European leaders to think the unthinkable
Europeans must urgently seek to close their security gaps in case Russia attacks – and the US refuses to defend its allies
Paul Taylor
Thu 7 May 2026 12.30 BST
Last modified on Thu 7 May 2026 17.00 BST
Donald Trump’s war in Iran and tirades against Nato allies are accelerating moves to develop a plan B for European security in case the US is no longer willing to help defend allies against a Russian attack. Europe must prepare for sudden vulnerability gaps if the fickle US president decides to pull out key military enablers before Europeans can develop their own alternatives.
European countries have already taken over financial and political responsibility for supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression, as Trump has increasingly sided with Moscow in trying to force Kyiv to hand over swathes of territory to Russia. After four years of war in Europe, most leaders have come to recognise Ukraine as a military and technological asset for European defence rather than a burden or a risk factor.
By branding Nato a “paper tiger” and European allies “cowards” for failing to support the US-Israeli war on Iran, Trump has undermined the credibility of the alliance. The announcement of a partial troop withdrawal from Germany as well as threats of further cuts and possible sanctions against European governments that withheld the use of their bases or airspace for Operation Epic Fury are forcing European leaders to think the unthinkable.
Several recent developments have highlighted how European countries are rethinking their security for a potentially post-American future. They can no longer be sure of US military backing if, for example, Putin were to stage a limited incursion into a Baltic state, perhaps sending covert forces to seize a Russian-speaking border town, and threaten massive, possibly nuclear retaliation if Nato responded. Such scenarios send shudders down the spines of European defence planners spooked by Trump’s unreliability.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/07/trump-nato-european-leaders-russia-attacks-us-allies
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