Former NATO Commander Warns of Alliance’s Potential Collapse

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) faces a significant risk of collapse amid escalating tensions between the United States and its European allies over Donald Trump’s stance on the Ukraine conflict, warned Admiral James Stavridis, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, in a CNN interview

Stavridis expressed grave concerns, stating, “I don’t want to be dramatic, but we may be seeing the decline of NATO.” He underscored that the ongoing conflict surrounding Ukraine could prove detrimental to the 75-year-old military alliance.

At the heart of the crisis, according to Stavridis, is Trump’s reluctance to continue supporting Ukraine, which has revealed deep fractures in NATO’s unity. “If America turns its back on Ukraine, it will strike at the heart of NATO and raise the question: Can the United States be trusted at all?” he explained.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has consistently indicated his intention to reduce financial aid to Ukraine, a move Stavridis describes as a “geopolitical mistake of colossal proportions.” However, he also noted a potential opportunity for a shift in European defense dynamics, suggesting that NATO’s decline could lead to the formation of a new European military alliance, the European Treaty Organization, capable of operating independently from Washington.

Stavridis’ warnings come in the wake of recent developments that have intensified discord within the alliance. Following the collapse of Trump’s discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 28, the U.S. president reaffirmed his focus on domestic priorities over continued funding for Ukraine, raising alarms among European leaders.

In an interview with The Telegraph Stavridis stated that Europe has now been given the “green light” to take independent action, indicating that European nations will need to assume primary responsibility for the continent’s security moving forward.