Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that tensions between the U.S. and Europe have become harder to manage [1].
The comments signal a growing rift in the transatlantic alliance, suggesting that European nations may need to establish firmer boundaries regarding demands from Washington to maintain stability.
Speaking at a Bloomberg Newsmakers event in Oslo, Norway, Stoltenberg, who also serves as Norway's finance minister, said that the relationship between the two sides has deteriorated [1, 2]. He said that the current friction exceeds the instability seen during previous political cycles [1].
"Relationships have frayed, even compared to the period when US President Donald Trump toyed with the idea of leaving the alliance after the 2024 election," Stoltenberg said [1].
Stoltenberg said that while the primary goal of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is to maintain the bond between North America and Europe, that effort cannot be unconditional [2]. He said that there are limits on what European allies should be expected to accept from the U.S. [2].
"NATO's task is to keep the US and Europe together, but there are limits," Stoltenberg said [2].
The former chief said the 2024 election-year rhetoric regarding the alliance's future was a catalyst for the current fragility [1]. He said that the fraying of these ties makes the diplomatic task of managing the alliance more complex than in previous years [2].
“Relationships have frayed, even compared to the period when US President Donald Trump toyed with the idea of leaving the alliance”
Stoltenberg's assessment reflects a strategic shift in how European allies perceive their dependency on the U.S. By suggesting that Europe must set limits on American demands, he is highlighting a move toward greater European strategic autonomy to hedge against political volatility in Washington.
