A new piece of Donald Trump's disengagement from the European scenario. The US, writes the Financial Times, will gradually eliminate security assistance programs for European armies along the border with Russia. This move aims to push the Old Continent to independently finance its own defense. A budget of over $1 billion is at stake. The news was broken to European diplomats by Pentagon officials last week. Washington, in essence, will no longer fund training and equipment programs for the armed forces in Eastern European countries that would be on the front lines in a potential conflict with Moscow. European governments were “ shocked ” by the communication and are seeking further details from Washington, according to two diplomats.
Spending for this Pentagon program, which falls under Section 333, must be approved by the US Congress, but the Trump administration has not requested additional funds. Those already approved will be available until the end of September 2026. A White House official commented that the move is in line with President Donald Trump's efforts to"review and realign" foreign aid with the America First agenda and responds to an executive order issued on his first day in office."This action was coordinated with European countries in line with the executive order and the president's longstanding emphasis on ensuring Europe takes greater responsibility for its own defense," the official said. Under pressure from Trump, NATO allies agreed in June to increase their defense and security spending to 5% of GDP.
The program allocated $1.6 billion to Europe between 2018 and 2022, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Among the main beneficiaries were Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Officials from dozens of European embassies in Washington, including those from countries that do not receive the assistance, attended a meeting where Pentagon officials were informed of the cuts.
European officials, according to the newspaper, are trying to determine whether domestic funding can fill the gaps or whether the cuts will impact critical elements of European security."If they are brutal, the implications will be enormous," one of the diplomats said, adding that NATO will certainly be affected, since part of the funding will flow through the alliance."It's causing a lot of concern and uncertainty," the second diplomat said, comparing it to Trump's earlier decision to cut US international aid.
