Overview
- Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned NATO is disintegrating and urged a new European alliance built on a mutual-defense pledge and strict entry rules.
- He proposed limiting membership to countries that meet a 5 percent of GDP defense-spending target and said Ukraine should join as a full member.
- Rasmussen said he has discussed the plan with political leaders, including in Berlin, but has not secured any commitments.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Europe wants to keep NATO functioning and pointed to a broad rebuild of European forces to deter Russia.
- Reuters reported that after Merz criticized U.S. policy last month, President Trump withdrew 5,000 troops and canceled a planned Tomahawk missile deployment, deepening tensions with European allies.