General Ben Hodges warns Europe is awakening to the reality that Washington may no longer be a dependable partner, prompting debate on EU security strategy.
He believed that because the US administration handled the war like "a massive real estate deal," its strategy was "doomed from the start."
“The United States really sees Europe as inconsequential except maybe for some business purposes,”
Hodges told Euronews on Europe Today programme.
Hodges cited recent disclosures about Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, and Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, as proof that Washington's main concern is "business with Russia after this is all concluded."
“It is unusual but that’s part of the problem,”
Hodges noted, adding that under the current administration’s list of priorities,
“Europe is number four”
behind the western hemisphere, the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.
This shift in priorities was rendered bare this week as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is slated to skip a major NATO meeting in Brussels.
Despite the bleak outlook, the general stressed that the situation is not hopeless. He questioned the notion that Ukraine is losing, adding that after 11 years of conflict, Russia holds only 20% of the nation and sectors of its economy are “in deep trouble”.
Hodges claims that
"Ukraine and Europe together"
have the population, wealth, and industry to thwart Russia.
“There’s no reason that Europe, including Ukraine, cannot stop Russia,”
he said.
“What they lack is the self-confidence and the political will.”
How might US domestic politics affect future NATO commitments?
Under a Trump administration returning to power, US involvement in NATO is anticipated to reduce vastly, fastening on pushing Europe to shoulder further defense burdens while maintaining a “ nuclear marquee ” and bases widely. proffers have included tiered NATO class and tentative security guarantees, risking divisions within the alliance and decaying Composition 5 commitments.
Domestic political precedences, similar as lesser focus on China and the Western Semicircle, may divert coffers and attention from European security, egging some European countries to question US trustability and seek further independent defense strategies.
Indeed under a Popular administration like President Harris, while the US commitment to NATO continues, there will be pressure for European abettors to increase defense spending and take further responsibility to justify uninterrupted American support.