France said Sunday Europe needed to rethink its defence strategy as the US repositions the majority of its naval fleet to the Pacific.
French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said questions relating to Europe’s defence framework have emerged due to the US shift, and are also exacerbated by Washington’s defence spending cut.
“In the coming 10 years, the US budget for defence is going to be diminished by about $500 billion,” he said at a news conference after attending the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security summit in Singapore.
“On the other hand, the United States have announced that they would give a priority to the Asia-Pacific region. Somewhere there will be a hole and it will be in Europe,” he added.
Addressing the conference Saturday, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Washington would gradually shift its naval fleet so that by 2020 it would have 60 percent of its ships in the Pacific, up from the current 50 percent.
Currently, the US has a 50/50 split between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic, which covers Europe.
The decision to deploy more ships to the Pacific, along with expanding a network of military partnerships in the region, was part of a “steady, deliberate” effort to bolster the US role in an area deemed vital to America’s future, Panetta said.
The move reflects US concern over China’s rising economic and military might but Panetta insisted the strategy was not a challenge to Beijing.
Le Drian said European nations had to reassess their defence situation after Panetta’s remarks.
“This means the Europeans must take into account this very solemn speech and Europeans must ask themselves how they conceive their future defenee always in the framework of the Atlantic Alliance,” he said.
The United States is a key member of the 28-nation, Brussels-based North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
