UK and allies 'need to prepare to defend Europe without US'

A committee of UK peers and MPs has warned that Britain and European NATO allies must prepare to defend themselves without US support in a crisis. The warning reflects growing concerns about the reliability of American security commitments, particularly given the Trump administration's repeated skepticism toward NATO burden-sharing and questions about US willingness to honor collective defense obligations. The committee characterizes this self-defense capability as a "worst case scenario," suggesting members view it as an urgent planning imperative rather than a likely outcome. European nations have already begun discussing increased defense spending and military coordination independent of the US, though NATO's founding framework has long centered on American military backing. The assessment underscores how Trump's stated demands for higher NATO contributions and conditional support have prompted allied governments to reconsider their strategic assumptions.