Donald Trump’s distancing from NATO became visible last month, in the waters around Iceland. Allied forces gathered here to practice detecting Russian submarines, attracting German surveillance planes that scrutinized the waves alongside Canadian warships and Belgian fighter planes.
For the first time since the beginning of this annual exercise, carried out for decades, no American ship or aircraft has joined the operation.
NATO forces, led by a French commander, aimed to demonstrate, both to themselves and to Moscow, that they can defend the continent without American involvement. And through this withdrawal, the USA confirmed a trend of detachment initiated already during the second Trump administration, thus conceding to allies a strategically important Arctic region.
“We see Europe and Canada getting more and more involved, and we even see it right here, in Iceland”, declared the head of Icelandic Defense, Jónas Allansson, in an interview for politico.eu.
The absence of American ships or aircraft is all the more notable as it concerns the exercise known as Northern Viking, led by the USA for decades. Although the American presence has not completely disappeared – US Navy construction teams are building new facilities in the military area of Keflavik airport and have contributed to planning – the other NATO allied states now play a much more visible role.
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