Europe has its army — it’s called Nato

As he marked the centennial of World War I’s end, French President Emmanuel Macron called for the creation of a European army. The United States cannot be counted on, he says; it’s backsliding on its commitment to Europe’s defence. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has made similar claims. It’s unfortunately true that Donald Trump’s insults to European leaders have strained the Nato alliance. And if the US president succeeds in withdrawing from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Russia’s threat to the continent would increase.

But Macron’s proposal ignores a more significant reality: the US continues to strengthen its military involvement in Europe. Pentagon spending there has risen to US$4.77B this year, from $789m when Trump was elected. The US contributes 70 per cent of Nato’s military spending. The Pentagon has 65,000 military personnel and dozens of bases in Europe, which hardly seems able to afford as much. Last year, only a small fraction of European nations met the Nato member states’ commitment to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence.

World War I demonstrated the necessity for Europe and the US to work together to maintain peace on the continent. Nato has done this job admirably for six decades, as both a military firewall and a forum for negotiating disagreements. Europe has no need to replace it.