France questions if US support for NATO is 'perennial'
France's defence minister questioned on 18 March 2019 whether the US commitment to the NATO alliance is ‘perennial’ and said Europe needs to build defence ‘autonomy’ as that question goes unanswered.
With Washington increasingly focused on the strategic challenge from China, Florence Parly said, ‘a question mark has emerged’ over the transatlantic alliance. Those posing the question would not be reassured, she said, ‘by the current atmosphere of withdrawal: withdrawal from battlefields, from treaties, from trade pacts.’
‘What Europeans are worried about is this: will the US commitment (to NATO) be perennial? Should we assume that it will go on as was the case in the past 70 years?’ Parly asked the Atlantic Council in Washington ahead of a meeting with Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.
The minister said she was most concerned about President Donald Trump apparently tying the US commitment and Europe's readiness to spend more on defence, including buying more US defence equipment. ‘The alliance should be unconditional, otherwise it is not an alliance. NATO's solidarity clause is called Article V, not article F-35,’ she said, referring to the US fighter jet.
Parly conceded Trump's criticism that NATO's European members need to spend more on shared defense, but she said it would be good to build up a measure of autonomy so as not to overly depend on the US military. The Europeans ‘have started to look honestly at what they would be really able to do if left on their own,’ she said. ‘Building a European autonomy should never be seen as a move against the US. We want America solidly steeped in NATO. Autonomy should be a variation on friendship.’
‘Every time the US has retreated from Europe, threats have come back to haunt the US itself,’ she added.
Parly also gave support for the continued presence of US forces in Syria, and said France could take part - an issue she would be discussing with Shanahan. ‘Today, we are carefully studying the recent US offer to maintain a residual presence, in cooperation with a few partners,’ she said.
More from Defence Notes
-
![US Africa Command targets logistic solutions]()
US Africa Command targets logistic solutions
AFRICOM is seeking IT systems and supply chain management solutions to enhance interoperability and standardise logistical processes in its area of responsibility.
-
![Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending]()
Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending
Germany’s Rheinmetall released its 1H 2025 results on 7 August, continuing the strong growth of recent years. A particular highlight of the result’s presentation was the Skyranger air defence system for which the company is predicting sales of about US$8.2 billion from the German Government before the end of the year.
-
![Defence companies continue to ride procurement wave]()
Defence companies continue to ride procurement wave
Vehicle and technology companies are reporting substantial growth compared to the first half of 2024. Italy’s Fincantieri saw revenues jump 24% for the first half of the year compared to 2024 and Thales up 6.8% for the same period. General Dynamics reported second quarter revenue growth of 8.9% for the second quarter compared to last year and MilDef reported organic order intake growth of 58%.
-
![Singapore plots a way forward with new technology and formation reform]()
Singapore plots a way forward with new technology and formation reform
Singapore spends about 3.5% of GDP on defence and the section’s budget sits on high on the proportion of national spending. The country is investing in uncrewed technology, medium- and long-range fires and new submarines and ships with the hunt also on for new maritime patrol aircraft.
-
![World Defense Show promises bigger and better event for 2026]()
World Defense Show promises bigger and better event for 2026
At this year's IDEF in Istanbul, Shephard spoke to World Defense Show (WDS) CEO Andrew Pearcey about his event's strategic role in Saudi Arabia, its themes and new features for 2026 and how it has grown since its launch in 2022.
