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Europe understands it must assume greater responsibility for its own security, but it needs time and a clear roadmap from the United States as it seeks to rapidly expand its military capabilities, Germany’s top military official said.
Speaking to Bloomberg Television on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defense conference in Singapore, Germany’s Chief of Defense Gen. Carsten Breuer said European countries have accepted the need to strengthen their own defense capacities but cannot replace critical U.S. military capabilities overnight.
“We have all understood that we have to take care of our security on our own, that we have to take over more responsibility, but we can’t build up to the needed capabilities that fast,” Breuer said, according to Bloomberg.
His remarks came after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged European allies to take greater responsibility for their own security during a speech at the conference.
Breuer said Germany had already undertaken an “enormous” increase in defense spending and was committed to meeting NATO’s target of allocating 3.5% of gross domestic product to defense by 2029, six years ahead of the alliance’s agreed timeline.
While emphasizing that the United States remains committed to NATO and European security, he said European governments need greater transparency regarding any future changes to the U.S. military posture on the continent.
“If they’re taking capabilities out, we have to mitigate those capabilities, so it has to be clear, transparent, and there has to be a roadmap in what timeframe we have to do it,” Breuer said, according to Bloomberg.
The comments come amid growing concerns in Europe over signals from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration regarding the future of American military commitments overseas.
According to Bloomberg, Washington has informed allies that it would reduce some strategic resources allocated to Europe in the event of a crisis or conflict.
Breuer also commented on China’s limited participation at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue, saying Beijing was missing an opportunity to engage with regional and international partners.
“The connection matters for us,” he said, referring to Europe’s interest in Indo-Pacific security and its links to the war in Ukraine, according to Bloomberg.
The annual Shangri-La Dialogue, one of Asia’s leading defense forums, brought together military leaders and policymakers amid the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as growing strategic competition between the United States and China.
Bloomberg reported that China’s lower-level representation at the conference allowed Washington to dominate discussions, while Hegseth’s speech focused on burden-sharing among allies and broader security challenges.
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