BRUSSELS (AP) 鈥� NATO鈥檚 top commander told The Associated Press on Friday that European allies have filled most of the holes created by a U.S. decision to military contributions in times of crisis.
U.S. Gen. Alex Grynkewich urged Europeans to make more equipment available after the U.S. signaled on June 3 that it would no longer supply an aircraft carrier and support ships, aerial refueling planes and dozens of fighter jets, among other assets, to the continent.
He also began weighing in case of an attack against Europe.
The so-called NATO Force Model is the alliance鈥檚 Plan A for making forces from the 32 member nations available in times of peace, crisis or war. It sets out the military assets that commanders can call on in phases over the first six months of any conflict.
鈥淚n a matter of weeks, European Allies have largely filled the gaps left by U.S. reductions to the NATO Force Model,鈥� Grynkewich said, days before President Donald Trump and his counterparts gather for a July 7-8 , where force planning will be high on the agenda.
鈥淎nd in those few areas where they haven鈥檛, where they do not currently have a like capability to replace, we are looking at alternate capabilities with matching effect,鈥� Grynkewich said. He provided no details.
In a decision that took many allies by surprise, the Pentagon informed its NATO allies that it would no longer provide as much as it focuses on potential threats elsewhere, notably from China in the region.
European allies and Canada scoured their inventories to see what could be offered should one of them come under attack. Britain, for example, has put a second aircraft carrier and F35 fighter jets on a higher level of readiness for use in emergencies.
Secretary-General Mark Rutte has played down the impact of the Trump administration鈥檚 decision. He believes the United States would shift more resources to Europe should conflict arise, just as it did for the war on Iran.
鈥淭his is not about where forces and assets are currently located,鈥� Rutte said last month. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about who would do what if our defense plans were activated. So, let鈥檚 say in case of an Article 5 situation.鈥�
Under NATO鈥檚 collective security guarantee 鈥� of its founding treaty 鈥� the 32 allies pledge that an attack on one of them will be considered an attack on all. It does not oblige them to provide military support, although many likely would.
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