European security 'risks becoming more regionalised' if NATO falls apart, military expert warns
Quick Insights
The Bottom Line
A military expert warns European security may become more regionalized if NATO disintegrates.
How This Affects You
If NATO weakens, European security could shift, potentially affecting international alliances and defense spending that the US contributes to.
AI Summary
Jean-François Bélanger, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Military Operations at the Royal Danish Defence College, warned that European security risks becoming more regionalized if NATO were to dissolve. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Bélanger explained that NATO currently excels at aggregating its members' diverse threat perceptions. A standalone European army, he noted, could provoke fractures, leading to regionalized security and hindering rapid resource mobilization. This assessment highlights concerns about the potential fragmentation of European defense capabilities without NATO's unifying structure. Such a scenario could undermine collective security and response times across the continent.
Following this story?
Get notified when new coverage appears
Other Sources Covering This Story
1 sourceMultiple outlets have reported on this story. Compare perspectives from different sources.
Cold Response 2026: NATO holds Arctic drills to test readiness against Russia
This article is part of a story we're tracking:
Should this be getting more attention?
You Might Have Missed
Related stories from different sources and perspectives
GlobalTrump can't quit NATO alone. But he can hurt it.
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">President Trump</a> can't abandon <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/08/rutte-trump-nato-iran-hormuz" target="_blank">NATO</a><strong> </strong>on his own, but he can still turn the relationship toxic as he rails at American allies who sat out his Iran war.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>America has been the backbone of the transatlantic alliance since 1949, but experts warn Trump's rhetoric and behavior threaten to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/03/nato-trump-iran-war" target="_blank">undermine NATO's mutual trust</a> even if the U.S. remains a member.</p><hr><ul><li>"It's already pretty well understood and feared amongst a number of Europeans that even if the U.S. stays in NATO, it's unreliable," Mark Webber, an international politics professor at the University of Birmingham, tells Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>The latest: </strong>On Thursday, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/...
GlobalRemaining in Nato is in best interests of US, says Keir Starmer
<p>PM pushes back after Trump’s threats to leave alliance and says European members must do more in light of Iran war</p><p>Keir Starmer has said it is in the best interests of the US to stay in Nato and that Europe must do more to support the alliance in light of the war in Iran.</p><p>The British prime minister, speaking at the end of a multi-stop trip around the Gulf to discuss the tentative ceasefire and options to fully reopen the commercially vital strait of Hormuz, pushed back against Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/01/trump-says-he-is-absolutely-considering-withdrawing-us-from-nato">threats to leave the defence alliance</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/10/remaining-in-nato-alliance-us-interests-keir-starmer">Continue reading...</a>
GlobalNato split over US access to European bases in Iran war - Financial Times
GlobalTrump's incendiary rhetoric fuels 'chaos and confusion', driving NATO allies toward self-reliance
Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Alexandre Vautravers, Associate Fellow in Leadership in Conflict Management at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP). According to Vautravers, amid Trump's fiery rhetoric, the real challenges lie in the technical, logistical, and strategic underpinnings of the alliance and interoperability across US and European forces. He says Europe is entering a phase of cautious autonomisation in response to an unpredictable US ally that has increasingly adopted highly confrontational policies towards allies and adversaries across the globe.
National SecurityTrump’s ballroom saga invokes national security threats
As President Trump strives to remake Washington in his image, his White House ballroom project stands apart. In court filings this week, his administration insisted that halting construction of the $400 million ballroom would amount to a national security threat — a departure from the broader claims of executive power undergirding other projects. It raises…
National SecurityFormer Nato chief to say UK's national security 'in peril' - BBC
What led Trump to impose blockade on Iranian ports in Strait of Hormuz?
President Trump's naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz is further raising tensions with Iran's regime. Ian Bremmer, president and founder of the Eurasia Group, joins with analysis.
Did this story change how you see things?
Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.
The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.
See our sourcesMost Read This Week
Automatic registration for US military draft to begin in December
There's growing disquiet in the military. The Iran war made it worse
US considers new crackdown on Chinese telecom companies - Reuters
DOJ’s Civil Rights Division Investigates Cassidy Hutchinson, Who Testified Against Trump
British man charged with directing Somalia-based terror group
