"Now is the time to invest, because you can't make an assumption that America's presence will last forever." With these words during a trip to Poland on February 14, 2025, the new US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sent a thinly veiled message to his European allies: the so-called "American umbrella" is no longer a principle to be taken for granted.

The expression "American umbrella" dates back to the Cold War. The United States, in rivalry with the Soviet Union, promised to defend its NATO allies in the event of an attack, relying on nuclear weapons as the main deterrent.

But where do we stand today? The US, preoccupied by China in particular, is making no secret of the fact that it now has other priorities than defending the Europeans. Stunned by this geopolitical shift, the Europeans are now looking for a new way forward. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he will confer with European allies on the idea of using France's nuclear deterrent to protect the continent in the face of threats from Russia.

In our three-minute video, we explain how European defense is dependent on the United States, and possible solutions if this "American umbrella" were to close.