Anders Fogh Rasmussen Proposes New European Nato Defense Force

Former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen proposed the creation of a new European Nato to decrease the continent's security dependence on the United States. The proposal follows statements from Donald Trump characterizing the existing alliance as a paper tiger and questioning the commitment to Article Five.

Rasmussen urged France and Britain to lead this broader European defense force, citing their nuclear capabilities as essential for leadership. He suggested transforming the Coalition of the Willing—a 35-nation alliance established in early 2025 to defend Ukraine—into a permanent security architecture. He argued that the European Union lacks the military capabilities required to implement its own mutual defense provision, Article 42.7.

While Rasmussen maintains that this new structure should complement NATO and keep the U.S. in overall command to preserve nuclear guarantees, he proposed a transactional arrangement. Under this plan, Europe would support U.S. military operations in Iran in exchange for continued American commitment to European and Ukrainian security.