European countries emerge as NATO leaders as U.S. role recedes

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. World European countries emerge as NATO leaders as U. role recedes May 8, 20265:00 AM ET By Scott Neuman President Trump attends a bilateral meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images As President Trump seeks to wind down the war in Iran, the United States is facing not only economic fallout such as higher gas prices but also mounting geopolitical costs.

Fresh disputes between Washington and NATO over the Middle East conflict are pushing European leaders to seriously consider a future in which the U. no longer leads the alliance. Middle East conflict The Iran war now has a price tag ($25 billion), but still no end date Sources & Methods Who is driving U.

The Details

Trump's decision to leave NATO in the dark before launching strikes on Iran — as well as his subsequent call for the alliance to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz — has inflamed tensions that had been simmering for months over the president's threats to seize control of NATO-linked Greenland and Canada, along with repeated suggestions that the United States might withdraw from the alliance entirely. "Something fundamental has broken," says Ivo Daalder, a former U. ambassador to NATO under President Barack Obama.

Trump, he says, doesn't believe America's security depends on the security of Europe — a position that defies decades of foreign policy logic going back to the end of World War II, when NATO was founded by the U. , Canada and their European allies to provide a bulwark against Soviet aggression. Sponsor Message It has Europe and Canada increasingly asking an unthinkable question, Daalder says: Will the United States come to the aid of its NATO allies?

That anxiety is reshaping military planning, defense spending, procurement decisions and the future structure of the alliance itself. With that in mind, here are four signs that NATO's future is entering its most uncertain period since the Cold War. The United States announces plan to withdraw U.

What Experts Say

troops from Germany Late last month, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said publicly that the U. appeared to lack a clear exit strategy in Iran and that Tehran had "humiliated" Washington in peace talks. The comment drew a sharp response from Trump, who soon indicated that U.

troop levels in Germany were under review. Middle East conflict A rift between Spain and Trump widens over Spanish opposition to the Iran war This week, the Pentagon followed through, announcing plans to withdraw 5,000 U. service members — about 14% of the roughly 36,000 troops stationed in Germany, a presence that dates to the early Cold War.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Trump shake hands at a news conference at the White House on Feb.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.