Willy Claes, a Belgian politician who served as the eighth Secretary General of NATO, has expressed outrage about what he called the end of US solidarity with Europe.
Claes was NATO chief from 1994 to 1995 but was forced to resign after he was found guilty of corruption.
Regarding the current stance under US President Donald Trump, the 86-year-old Socialist politician stormed: “This amounts to high treason by the Americans”.
“I try to remain calm, but it is difficult because the chaos is unprecedented and complete,” he told Belgian news outlet Het Nieuwsblad on February 17.
He said he had nothing positive to say about the US anymore.
“For years — perhaps since 1917, when they declared war on Germany — Americans have shown solidarity with Europe. This was especially true during the Second World War. They not only helped liberate us from the Nazis but also provided immense support in rebuilding,” Claes said.
“Not so long ago, they found it sensible to support Ukraine, a country that the Russians cowardly invaded and occupy.
“But after those many years of perfect solidarity over the ocean, everything changed since the presidency of Trump. This amounts to high treason.
“It is the low point of low points of a country that found itself thinking it could lecture Europe about its core values at the Munich Security Summit.
“What kind of imbecilic speech, pardon my language, did Vice President JD Vance give?”
Christoph Heusgen, chairman of the Munich Security Conference, has called this year’s edition a “European nightmare” after it became clear the US was pushing for major changes in the transatlantic partnership. https://t.co/83fhBkqTX2
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 17, 2025
Despite his criticism of the administration of Trump and Vance, Claes said he did not think NATO was over.
“In this regard, I’m not a pessimist. It would be close to impossible for Trump to leave NATO anyway – before he took office, a preventive law was approved.
“Our continent borders Russia, a country that he described as a danger and a challenge. Trump realises very well that you better have allies around when aggression happens.”
Claes also said he did not expect Europe to replace the North Atlantic alliance.
“Purely militarily speaking, you can’t replace this NATO alliance with a European army. There isn’t enough unity for that in Europe for now.”
The politician reminisced about when he spoke with former then-French president François Mitterrand about European defence and the need to differentiate from the US.
Claes added, though, that unanimity was required to form a European army, which he said was “impossible”.
Due to this lack of unity, he said he wanted Europe to maintain its ties with the US while also contributing its fair share. “If you’re a member of a club, you pay your membership fee.”
The former NATO chief insisted Europe must urgently strengthen its military while also reviving global disarmament talks.
“The ‘red telephone’ between Moscow and Washington barely works. We’re starting something that may soon be unstoppable,” he said.
Still, Claes added that he did not see Russia as an immediate threat. “Putin is hostile toward us but his war chest is nearly empty.”
COMMENT: If Europe wants a relationship with America, it must have a relationship with all of America, not just the half that it prefers to invite to cocktail parties, writes @henryolseneppc. https://t.co/je3QAnyqHo
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 17, 2025
The former NATO chief’s fall from grace came following the murder of André Cools, another leading but controversial Socialist figure from Belgium.
Cools’ 1991 assassination exposed widespread corruption. While not linked to the murder, Claes was implicated in the scandal for facilitating illegal payments to his party as Belgium’s economic minister.
He was later convicted of corruption, banned from holding public office for five years, fined and given a three-year suspended prison sentence.
As a result, he was ultimately forced to resign as NATO Secretary General in 1995.
