As Russia prepares to confront Europe, the Trump administration is considering relinquishing command of NATO military operations in Europe.

Russia is boosting its defense investments and readying for conflict with Europe, said EC President Ursula von der Leyen.

“And at a time when these threats are increasing, we see our long time partner, the US, shifting its focus to the Indo-Pacific region,” she added.

Von der Leyen emphasized that Europe needs to enhance its defense posture, increase defense spending, invest in air and missile defense, and ramp up weapons production, along with boosting its support for Ukraine.

“We need to make Ukraine so strong that it is too formidable for potential invaders. We must invest in Ukraine’s ability to deter an aggressor, preventing them from succeeding,” the EC President emphasized.

“To achieve these objectives, we will establish a joint working group with Ukraine to coordinate military assistance from the EU,” von der Leyen stated.

Meanwhile, the US is contemplating a departure from the 75-year tradition of commanding NATO military operations in Europe in a cost-cutting move. This could signal the US’ withdrawal from the Alliance.