Most European allies "hollowing out" their troops as they slash defense spending, casting doubts whether Europe can maintain a viable military partner of the U.S., the outgoing U.S. ambassador to NATO said on Monday.
Ivo Daalder said many Western European countries in response to the 2008 financial crisis, NATO and the United States now account for nearly three-quarters of the total defense spending induced austerity, cuts in defense spending.
He said: "Most European allies are hollowing out of his army, abandoning capabilities, and failed to wisely spend their existing budgets, in his farewell address, the European think tank Carnegie chair.
As a result, the United States and the European Union's contribution to the widening gap between the unsustainable levels, "he said." "This trend needs to be reversed."
Concern in the United States was "not enough investment in Europe, defense is still a viable military partners," Daalder said NATO since 2009, the U.S. envoy.
"Today, America's first resort in Europe as a partner's ability is weakening," Daalder said, noting that defense budget cuts in Europe, in Asia and elsewhere, while emerging powers, invested heavily in defense.
He urged European countries to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan in the next few years, investing in new military equipment, and in the NATO "reinvestment", once the economic situation improves, in order to conserve.
"GROWING gap"
Apart from the United States, only three 28 allies - Britain, Greece and Estonia - met with the NATO defense spending to 2% of its economic output target, he said.
As former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned that two years ago, "America's ability and willingness of the widening gap to fill leaving insufficient defense spending in Europe coming to an end," Daalder said.
However, Daalder also said that despite the Obama administration's policies more intense focus of U.S. foreign policy in Asia, the U.S. and NATO plan will not give away to Europe.
Two years ago, the old NATO overthrow Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has played a key role. Western Union to impose a no-fly zone and the use of air power to try to stop his forces attacked civilian areas held by the rebels.
Daalder said the cuts in defense spending, if it continues at the current rate, he did not believe that NATO will be able to repeat this operation in five years or 10 years time.
European air forces first air strikes against Libya, but Daalder said that even so, they rely heavily on U.S. air refueling, precision positioning, surveillance and reconnaissance, revealing the capacity gaps in Europe.
Western diplomats said on Friday Washington was considering a limited no-fly zone over parts of Syria, which is immersed in a civil war Daalder said that although there is no a no-fly zone NATO's agenda.
European countries are trying to plug the gap between their defenses so overstretched military budgets go further work more closely together, but defense experts say, the savings to cut defense spending so far is small compared to.
In the United States, the Department of Defense has also been hit by automatic spending cuts.
 



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