The former commander-in-chief of NATO's forces in Europe, James Stavridis, has warned that the alliance could be at risk because of tensions over defense spending.

Stavridis believes pressure from US President Donald Trump for European NATO member states to increase their defense budgets could lead to the end of the alliance. He suggests that a European alliance could take NATO's place, given the differences over the conflict in Ukraine. Commenting on the dispute between Trump and Zelensky, Stavridis warned that this should be a wake-up call for European NATO members.