As doubts swirl over US President Donald Trump’s commitment to protecting NATO, both sides of the Atlantic agree: Europe needs to take more responsibility for its own defence. The shift away from relying on America’s might will be a key focus as leaders from the 32-country alliance meet for a summit in Ankara this week.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. From what’s happening to how far it could go, here are some of the key issues: US steps back Trump has not been shy about his criticisms of NATO -- most recently lashing out at European allies over their response to his war against Iran. The mercurial leader has repeatedly undercut faith in the United States by casting doubt on whether he would stand by the alliance’s Article Five mutual defence clause. But it’s not just words coming from Washington now. Since Trump’s return to power, his administration has made it crystal clear it wants Europe to take the lead on defending the continent as the United States focuses on other parts of the globe. Washington rattled NATO by abruptly announcing in May that it would pull 5,000 troops from Germany and halt a deployment to Poland, before flip-flopping. The Pentagon then told allies it was scaling back the military assets it puts at NATO’s disposal and has announced a six-month review of its forces in Europe. “We’re doubling down on our effort to make NATO what it always was supposed to be, a balanced alliance with Europe in the lead for its own defence,” US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said.