Europe should reduce its reliance on the U.S. and strengthen the European pillar of NATO instead, Czech President Petr Pavel said, writes POLITICO.

“The dominant role of NATO as a security provider must no longer mean that Europe neglects its defense obligations”, said Pavel, speaking at the opening ceremony of the new academic year at the College of Europe in Bruges. “Reducing the reliance on the U.S. and developing European strategic enablers is to be seen as our contribution to our transatlantic partnership”.

“Very likely, we will have to go beyond the 2 percent spending on defense”, - he noted.

Pavel, who is a former general and senior NATO leader, became Czech president in early 2023.