General Raymond Odierno, the Chief of Staff of the US army, who has fought alongside British forces in several conflicts, including the recent campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Britain is becoming a friend who can't be trusted.
He told The Telegraph newspaper that dramatic cuts to Britain’s defence budget implemented since the Coalition took power in 2010 means that they are no longer able to undertake the kind of missions that Britain has historically.
His comments, moreover, came after President Barack Obama had taken issue with Prime Minister David Cameron when he visited the White House in January. He warned the Prime Minister of the dangers of allowing British defence expenditure to fall below the 2 per cent of GDP threshold required by our Nato membership.
“What has changed, though, is the level of capability. In the past we would have a British Army division working alongside an American army division,” Gen Odierno said.
The cuts mean that the US military is now working on the basis that in future Britain will contribute only half that amount, if not less.
But Britain’s spending isn’t the only cause for concern. Gen Odierno is also worried about cuts by other European allies.
“The US is willing to participate, and in some cases lead, but we need our multi-national partners to help,” he said. “As we look to the threats around the world, we need to have multinational solutions. They are of concern to everyone, and we need everybody to help, assist and invest.”