Stoltenberg: EU will not be able to perform the role of NATO

NATO will not be able to survive without the United States, and the EU will not be able to perform the role of the alliance.

This was stated on the air of the Swedish television channel SVT by the Minister of Finance of Norway and former Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg.

He stressed that NATO in its current form will not be able to exist without the United States. "No, not the NATO that we have known for almost 80 years, because it is about Europe and the United States standing together and confronting all threats. That is why it is so important to do everything possible to prevent a split between Europe and the United States," he said. "I have great respect for the EU, but I do not believe that the EU can replace NATO in matters of common security and defense guarantees."

One of the reasons for the crisis in NATO was the stated desire of the United States to take control of Greenland, notes SVT. There is now concern that the United States will withdraw troops faster than Europe can replace them.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States would subject its course within NATO to a very serious review. According to the American leader, the North Atlantic Alliance did not support Washington in the situation around Iran, although the United States "pays trillions of dollars for NATO."

Source: TASS