US Defence Secretary Robert Gates delivered a sharp parting shot at European allies on Friday, saying NATO risks “collective military irrelevance” unless they bear more of the burden and boost military spending. In a final policy address before retiring at the end of the month, Gates said NATO-led operations in Afghanistan and Libya had exposed significant shortcomings in military capabilities and political will among the allies. With the United States facing painful budget cuts at home as President Barack Obama grapples with a $1.4 trillion deficit, he warned that US lawmakers may begin to question the 75 percent share that Washington pays in NATO defence spending. This meant there was “a real possibility for a dim, if not dismal future for the transatlantic alliance”, he said. “The blunt reality is that there will be dwindling (US) appetite and patience … to expend increasingly precious funds on behalf of nations that are apparently unwilling to devote the necessary resources or make the necessary changes to be a serious and capable partners in their own defence,” Gates said.
