BRUSSELS – NATO’s top military officer is weighing alternative plans to defend Europe should it come under attack from Russia, after the United States announced that it is cutting the number of aircraft and warships that it would provide in a security crisis.

The so-called NATO Force Model is Plan A for making forces from the 32 member nations available in times of peace, crisis or war. It sets out the military assets that commanders can call on in phases over the first six months of any conflict.

kAmqFE =2DE >@?E9[ E96 !6?E28@? H2C?65 :ED }p%~ 2==:6D E92E :E H@F=5 36 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^EC@@A\56A=@J>6?ED\6FC@A6\4@DED\ECF>A\33cb2c75`_g2eeb6eh32c34h3h7e6e46QmD42=:?8 5@H?k^2m :ED 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 7@4FD @? A@E6?E:2= E9C62ED 6=D6H96C6[ ?@E23=J 7C@> r9:?2 😕 E96 x?5@\!24:7:4 C68:@?]k^Am

kAmtFC@A62? 4@F?EC:6D 2?5 r2?252 925 H2:E65 :>A2E:6?E=J 7@C @G6C 2 J62C 7@C E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? E@ 56E2:= :ED A=2?D 27E6C :E H2C?65 E92E tFC@A6 😀 ?@ =@?86C 2 E@A &]$] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?2E@\FD\6FC@A62?D\F^2CE:4=6^?2E@\ECF>A\EC@@AD\6FC@A6\A@=2?5\4@?7FD:@?\d66bh4ahabg4566fe4`fg_abb43e7554Qm4FED H6C6 4@>:?8k^2m[ 3FE ?@E 9@H 3:8[ 72DE @C H92E <:?5]k^Am

kAm&]$] v6?] p=6I vCJ?<6H:49[ }p%~’D DFAC6>6 2==:65 4@>>2?56C[ D2:5 E92E “E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 😀 DE:== 4@>>:EE65 E@ AC@G:5:?8 =:>:E65 3FE 4C:E:42= 42A23:=:E:6D E@ E96 2==:2?46]”k^Am

kAm“(6 ?665 E@ 7@4FD @? E9:?8D E92E H6 42? 24BF:C6 BF:4<=J[ E92E H6 42? 7:6=5 BF:4<=J[ 2?5 E92E H6 42? D42=6 C2A:5=J 2?5 DFDE2:? @G6C E:>6[ 2?5 E92E 8@6D 7@C =@?8\C2?86 7:C6D” 2D H6== 2D 5C@?6D[ vCJ?<6H:49 D2:5 2E E96 x{p q6C=:? p:C $9@H @? %9FCD52J]k^Am

kAm“%9@D6 D@CED @7 E9:?8D 42? 96=A FD >:E:82E6 E96 ?62C\E6C> C:D< D9@F=5 H6 7:?5 @FCD6=G6D ?665:?8 E@ 56E6C 2?5 5676?5[” 96 25565]k^Am

k9am&$ 42==D @? tFC@A6 2?5 r2?252 E@ A=F8 82ADk^9am

kAmp7E6C 2==:6D >6E @? yF?6 a\b E@ 2DD6DD 82AD =67E 3J E96 &]$] >@G6[ vCJ?<6H:49 D2:5 E92E tFC@A62? 2==:6D 2?5 r2?252 D9@F=5 7:== E96> 3J DFAA=J:?8 >2??65 2?5 F?>2??65 2:C4C27E[ 2?5 H:E9 ?2G2= G6DD6=D] xE D9@F=5 92AA6? “?@H 2?5 😕 E96 ?62C E6C>[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 AC64:D6 ?2EFC6 @7 E96 4FED C6>2:?D D64C6E[ 3FE >65:2 C6A@CED 😕 v6C>2?J 2?5 E96 &]$] DF886DE E92E 2? 2:C4C27E 42CC:6C H:E9 :ED DFAA@CE 8C@FA @7 H2CD9:AD 2?5 2:C4C27E 2D H6== 2D 2 DF3>2C:?6 H@F=5 =62G6 E96 tFC@A62? E962E6C] p6C:2= C67F6=:?8 A=2?6D 2?5 5@K6?D @7 7:89E6C ;6ED H@F=5 ?@ =@?86C 36 2G2:=23=6]k^Am

kAmp== 2C6 😕 D9@CE DFAA=J 😕 tFC@A6[ 2?5 :E’D F?4=62C H96C6 E96J >:89E 36 7@F?5 😕 2 9FCCJ] $E:==[ (2D9:?8E@? H2?ED E@ @H 9@H :ED 2==:6D :?E6?5 E@ 324<7:== E96D6 2DD6ED 3J E96 E:>6 !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 2?5 9:D }p%~ 4@F?E6CA2CED >66E 7@C 2 DF>>:E 😕 %FC<6J @? yF=J f\g]k^Am