The US defence chief warned NATO allies on Wednesday that they can no longer depend on the United States to make up for the type of military shortfalls witnessed in the Libyan and Afghan wars. With the US military facing its own major budget cuts, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta called on European and Canadian allies to work closely to pool resources at a time of austerity biting on both sides of the Atlantic.
“As for the United States, many might assume that the United States defence budget is so large it can absorb and cover alliance shortcomings – but make no mistake about it, we are facing dramatic cuts with real implications for alliance capability,” he said in a speech in Brussels.
