On Thursday, April 16, Anna Wieslander, Director for Northern Europe, was invited to TV4 Nyhetsdagen to comment on reports of a European NATO fallback plan in case the U.S. leaves the alliance.
Wieslander emphasizes that discussions about a more European NATO have been ongoing since the Trump administration took office last year, but that recent crises – including Greenland and Iran, which have eroded European trust in the U.S. – have accelerated the process.
“Europeans fear that the United States may not carry out this burden shift in an orderly manner, as was expected a year ago, but that it could happen very abruptly. In that case, Europe must be prepared,” says Wieslander, who adds that the planning takes place on several tracks: “Part of the planning is done together with the Americans, but some of it is also carried out alongside them.”
At its core, this is a positive development, Wieslander argues, as it has long been recognized that Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own defense and strengthen its capabilities. What is needed is for this to take place in coordination with the Americans. The upcoming changes in NATO command structures, Wieslander continues, can in this regard be seen as a “textbook example” of how an orderly transformation toward a more European alliance can unfold.
Watch Nyhetsdagen from 35:40 to learn more (in Swedish):
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