The United States wants the military in the United Kingdom to focus more on Europe and away from Asia

Unlock White House Clock Bulletin Free

Your guide on what Trump’s second term for Washington, Business and the World means

The Pentagon wants the military in the United Kingdom to focus more on Europe and less in Asia, on a significant policy change in Biden’s administration, which prompted European allies to promote activity in Indo-Pacific to send a strong sign to China.

Elbridge ColbyThe United States Una Ecretari de la Politics has told British officials that the Trump administration believes that the military in the United Kingdom should increase their approach to the Euro-Atlantic region, according to five people who know the subject.

Colby, the third highest officer in Pentagon, has also expressed concern about sending London by sending his HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier in a deployment that will include time in the Indo-Pacific.

He argued that European nations should be responsible for security in their region, especially in relation to the war in Ukraine, to free the North -military American Focus more on China and Indo-Pacific.

The push marks an 180 -degree pivot from the Biden administration, which argued that a European military presence in Asia would be help to counteract aggressive Chinese military activity In the region I could help determine President Xi Jinping to decide to attack Taiwan.

In recent years, European countries, such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the Netherlands, have sailed on the War Naves for the South China Sea for Beijing Objection. In 2021, the Pentagon welcomed the “historical” deployment of Queen Elizabeth’s aircraft carrier in the United Kingdom in Indo-Pacific.

By pushing Europe to do more in the Pacific, Kurt Campbell, the White House Indo-pacific Tsar in the first half of Biden’s administration, had argued that the Atlantic and Pacific theaters were linked.

“This decision suggests that the Trump administration will try to eliminate the two, which could be allied in the two regions most concerned about the perspectives of North -American Continued Regional Commitment,” said Zack Cooper, Asian Safety Expert of the American Enterprise Institute.

The new policy occurs when Beijing has increased a charm offensive with Europe to try to reverse the previous United States efforts to enlist European countries to counteract China.

A person who knew the problem said that the UK He had always been active worldwide, including work closely with the United States in Euro-Atlantic priorities, “but” would be careful of their own interests, as well as collaborations from all over the world, whether in Europe, in the Middle East or Indo-Pacific. “

Although North -American military officers generally be grateful to have more European military presence in the Pacific, the Trump Pentagon Administration Civil Policy team wants countries to focus more on their origin regions.

Colby this week said it was “key” for Europe to increase defense spending by up to 5 percent of GDP. As part of his push for countries to increase investment in defense, he recently told Congress Japan that he should spend more than his scheduled goal of 2 percent and said that Taiwan should spend 10 percent.

“European military power remains limited if it does not extend, so it is natural that the Trump administration would like to see -the one focused on the European subcontinent and the threat of Russia (rather) that extended to Asia or elsewhere,” said Eric Sayers, a safety expert in Asia Global Strategies. “Deploying naval diplomacy in peacetime in other regions is a luxury that I do not think Europe can afford these days.”

But critics say that the increase in co -operation between Iran, Russia, North Korea and China mean that the United States should request help from allies outside their regions.

“The European theaters, of the Middle East and Indo-Pacific, have always been deeply interconnected,” said an Indo-Pacific country official. “But today the security is more indivisible than ever, especially because of the reappearance of a powerful global axis of authoritarian revisionist powers.”

The British Ministry of Defense said he was “working closely with our American and Indo-Pacific allies of our deployment of the carrier strike group with the HMS Prince of Wales due to conduct exercises later this year.”

The Pentagon denied to comment.