LONDON
The UK should prepare, together with its European allies, for a shift toward greater European leadership within NATO amid increasing uncertainty in its relationship with the US, a key parliamentary report suggested Friday.
The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy urged the government to plan for a worst-case scenario in which the US may not come to Europe’s defense during a crisis.
"While the Committee recommends the UK continue to collaborate with the US, it also says that the Government should prepare, along with European allies, for a transition towards greater European leadership of NATO and continue to develop partnerships with non-NATO allies around the world," said the report.
It also highlighted the scale of strategic dependence on the US in areas such as nuclear, intelligence and conventional defense, but cited unpredictability over ties with the US.
"The unpredictability of the US relationship is a growing concern," Matt Western, the Chair of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy said in the report.
He added: "The UK’s deep dependence on the US for security guarantees has a long history, and the partnership will outlast Prime Ministers and Presidents alike. But the UK needs a clear plan to move away from some areas of strategic reliance to ensure the UK can pursue its national interest."
Western described the UK’s policy toward China as "more complicated," stressing that the committee is concerned that the government has not yet found the "right balance" between cooperation and challenge.
"The government must be more proactive and transparent in exactly how it is addressing national security issues when it engages with Beijing," he added.
On spending, he noted that the government must publish the Defense Investment Plan "as soon as possible," with concrete details of how it will help firms revitalize the UK’s defense-industrial base.
"The National Security Strategy sets out a framework for handling a volatile world: the government must now deliver," he stated, referring to the ongoing Middle East escalation.