Trump Continues Questioning NATO as European Strategic Autonomy Push Intensifies

Trump continued to publicly challenge NATO's relevance as fallout from his Miami forum remarks spread across European capitals. German and French defense officials privately warned that US unpredictability had reached a point where European strategic autonomy was no longer a choice but a necessity. French defense planners reiterated warnings that the US 'doesn't even bother to inform us when they decide to launch military operations,' citing the Iran war as the latest example. EU officials confirmed that the SAFE instrument's €150B loan facility was being accelerated, with several member states fast-tracking procurement requests. The Hill reported NATO was in crisis management mode, with Rutte appealing for Trump's 'understanding.' Analysts at ECFR described the situation as NATO's most serious structural crisis since de Gaulle withdrew France from the integrated command structure in 1966.