Ben Hodges: Even Without The U.S., NATO's Capabilities Are Many Times Greater Than Russia's
- 16.04.2026, 17:16
The alliance is made up of 32 states, not just one.
Retired American lieutenant general, former commander of U.S. forces in Europe, and veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Ben Hodges in an exclusive interview with the website Charter97.org discussed whether NATO can exist without the United States.
- Is NATO irreversibly cracking at the seams?
- No. There has been damage because of uncertainty about America's commitment under President Trump. But this alliance is made up of 32 nations, not just one. The industrial capabilities, military capabilities, intelligence and analytical capabilities of all the other countries are enormous. It is a matter of political will. I believe that the combined economic and military potential of all the other NATO members is many times greater than Russia. I think we can do it.
- Is it theoretically possible - NATO without the United States?
- Yes, of course. But it would require countries to make mutual commitments - not only to meet collective defense obligations, but also to meet their own defense and readiness obligations (Article 3 of the Washington Treaty, NATO's founding treaty). Political leaders will have to talk to their nations as adults, explain the risks, explain what is going on. Then, I think the peoples will tend to respond to the calls of such leadership. Imagine a situation where the EU has no US, Canada, or even the UK, yet there is a defense article and a defense structure. I think the US is the country that will suffer the most as other nations lose confidence in us.
- In terms of military capabilities, is there anything the US has that cannot be replaced?"
- Yes, of course. The U.S. Navy, for example, the ability of the Air Force to strike targets around the world. But none of that is necessarily necessary for the defense of Europe. This is not about replacing everything the US possesses. The share of US defense spending directed at Europe is actually very small. You don't need to pose the question, "How do we replace a trillion dollar defense budget, 11 aircraft carriers and all that." Of course, European countries will have to build up their maritime capabilities, long-range strike capabilities, logistics - but this is all focused on Europe, not on a global scale.