Bloomberg: NATO countries doubt the role of the US in defending Europe

At the Munich Security Conference, representatives of NATO member countries discussed in private the need to be prepared for a possible Russian attack on one of them against the backdrop of doubts about the role of the US in defending Europe, Bloomberg reported citing sources.

The publication notes that NATO members now privately talk about a Russian attack on one of them as a danger that requires an immediate response, as they increasingly doubt that the US will maintain its traditional role in defending Europe as part of the alliance.

"Growing concern of his (Biden's - ed.) European allies stems from the realization that they are at a moment when Russia, buoyed by its successes on the battlefield, can reduce its support for their region, and they themselves have done too little to prepare," the material says.

This pessimism dominated the discussions at the Munich Security Conference this weekend, where leaders and representatives of defense departments gathered to summarize the world's major geopolitical threats.

High-ranking security officials expressed concern about the US's inability to provide billions of dollars in funding to Ukraine and said that they are considering scenarios in which this deterioration of support could push Russia to a direct attack on a NATO ally.

According to one official, compared to the determination of previous meetings, there was uncertainty in Munich this year.

Republican Senator from Ohio, Jay D. Vance, an opponent of aid to Ukraine and a close ally of Donald Trump, expressed the opinion of many members of his party when he said that his country needs to redirect its foreign policy to Asia, leaving fewer resources to support Europe.

"The problem with Europe is that it does not provide enough self-restraint because it does not show enough initiative. The American security blanket allowed European security to atrophy," Vance said at a panel discussion in Munich.

According to one senior congressional aide, even if funding for Ukraine from the US arrives, the equipment will not immediately reach Ukraine. In particular, the publication writes about the need for air defense missiles, "the lack of which has already caused serious damage from Russian missile attacks."

Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, considering the possibility of war with Russia, called on Europe and NATO to prepare for the "worst-case scenario."