At Munich, Europe Asks Whether It Can Still Rely on America

At the Munich Security Conference in February 2026, European leaders weighed whether their alliances with the United States could still be relied on. The BBC reported that 68% of Europeans feel their country is under threat, and that Germany has become Ukraine's largest donor since the US halted new direct aid. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Germany's defence budget will be larger than Britain's and France's combined by 2029. European governments are also asking whether to build coalitions with countries such as Australia, Japan and South Korea.