What happens if the United States withdraws from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization? “In that case, Europe would face the task of establishing an independent deterrence and defense architecture within a few years, including a nuclear component,” former German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg wrote in his newsletter on April 9. Even though he said this scenario is still unlikely, it is “no longer unthinkable.”

Many European leaders agree, and the logical consequence is to prepare as if nato were dead already while pretending it will live forever.

The Death of Trust

United States President Donald Trump has heavily criticized European nato partners for exploiting U.S. generosity. Since the two sides have had major disagreements over Greenland earlier this year and now the Iran war, Trump has repeatedly threatened to either completely withdraw from the alliance or to make U.S. support conditional.

Guttenberg explained:

nato faces a greater threat at its core than at its periphery: It is not the Baltic border but primarily American resolve that has become the critical test of its resilience. If Europe fails to find an answer to this, the much-vaunted nuclear umbrella will eventually fail—not because of technical shortcomings but because of a lack of trust.

An alliance founded solely on trust cannot survive trust’s loss.

“[T]he nations of Europe, directly in the very shadow of the great Russian bear, are becoming disturbed, distrustful of America, and thinking more and more about uniting themselves into a united states of Europe,” the late Herbert W. Armstrong warned in the March 1950 Plain Truth.

Since the end of the Cold War, Europe has prepared for the U.S. to withdraw its protective umbrella. These preparations allow for the sudden emergence of a European superstate. Lack of trust in the U.S. unites the fearful in Europe with the opportunists who have anticipated such a moment.

Guttenberg explained that these foundations are now being used as stepping-stones for greater European military independence:

Meanwhile, the EU is seeking to expand its defense capabilities—but without supplanting nato or appearing to be a rival initiative. Through Permanent Structured Cooperation (pesco), Europe is now pursuing over 70 projects—ranging from unmanned ground systems to integrated air and missile defense and cybercapabilities—aimed at closing capability gaps and strengthening the European defense industrial base.

Instruments such as the European Defense Fund (edf), pesco, the “Strategic Compass” and new initiatives like “Defense Readiness 2030” signal a political will to make the often-invoked “strategic autonomy” more than just a nice-sounding phrase. …

The challenge for Europe is to significantly strengthen its own defense capabilities without undermining the trans-Atlantic pillar on which European security has rested to date. In practical terms, this means consistently fulfilling pesco commitments, accelerating joint procurement and consolidating the fragmented defense industry—while at the same time providing a constant political assurance that these steps will strengthen nato.

Think about this duplicity. nato was originally founded as a defense alliance between North America and European countries—hence the name North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Guttenberg quoted the first secretary general, British General Lord Ismay, who summed up its mission as follows: “to keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down.”

But now European countries are arming themselves, showing that they no longer trust the U.S. while pretending that this strengthens the alliance. An independent Europe led by Germany is the opposite of what Lord Ismay called for. But it is not much different from what the second German defense minister, Franz Josef Strauss, called for in his book The Grand Design: A European Solution to German Reunification, published in 1965. He wrote:

The European nato countries are justified in reading into the text of the Atlantic treaty an obligation to seek ways and means in the future of making their defense possible from within Europe itself, just as America is able to defend herself. An unsuitably and inadequately armed Europe is of no benefit to America.

Strauss also wrote: “[A] European nuclear arsenal should be created on French territory and, if Great Britain takes part, on British territory as well.”

So this is not about President Trump or any other current crisis. We are seeing nato develop more and more into what Germany always wanted and away from its original design.

Interestingly, what Guttenberg and others call for is very similar to what Russia is warning against.

“We draw the attention of the U.S. administration and the leadership of all other countries to the need to do everything possible to prevent the European Union from developing its own nuclear weapons,” stated Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service. Russia warns that the EU intends to rely on the U.S. nuclear umbrella while secretly expanding the role of France’s and Britain’s nuclear umbrella until it has established its own capacities.

Russian intelligence stated that Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain have advanced civilian and military industrial capacity that could contribute to building the EU’s nuclear arsenal. It further claims that, in about a month, German specialists can produce enough weapons-grade plutonium for a single nuclear explosive device and, within a week, enough weapons-grade uranium. While Germany’s technical capacity is unquestionable, the speed at which it could transform its civilian capacity for military use is uncertain.

Russia’s intelligence service can, of course, be as much of a propaganda tool as the Russian media itself. But it was recently revealed that the Hungarian foreign minister allegedly shared confidential EU information with his Russian counterpart.

While we don’t know how far advanced Europe’s plans are, the Bible does reveal that Europe’s core nations will suddenly rise militarily to shock the world.

Understanding God’s Plan

In 2014, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote:

What does Germany do when it gets a strong military? Do you dare read its history and see? Once that military is in place, it will be put to use! This world doesn’t comprehend that because it doesn’t understand history and Bible prophecy. We just have to look at the truth to understand what we’re dealing with. Everything is moving at lightning speed.

Our world is filled with lies, and Germany has done a remarkable job at changing the world’s opinion about its militaristic ambitions. But the Bible states plainly that our world is heading for another world war, and Germany will start it.

This isn’t about fearmongering or Germanophobia. God says Assyria, the equally warlike biblical predecessors of the modern Germans, is “the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation” (Isaiah 10:5). (To learn more about this and related prophecies, request a free copy of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.)

Revelation 17 talks about a vicious beast symbolizing an empire that would rise repeatedly; this included the Hitler-Mussolini axis of World War ii. That same chapter reveals that this beast will rise again, this time with 10 kings, or authoritarian rulers. These kings will give their power to an overarching ruler, undoubtedly a German (verses 12-13). They will usher in the prophesied Great Tribulation, spoken of in Jesus Christ’s Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24.

But notice what Revelation 17:17 reveals: “For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.”

God will use Germany and this rising empire to fulfill His will, which is revealed in the Bible. Do you know what God’s will is? Do you know where world events are headed? The Bible provides the answer for those willing to listen.

A time is coming when God will forcefully teach the German people and the entire world the only way of peace. You need to understand why this time has not yet come and how God will use Germany to bring the world to repentance and, in turn, bring the German people to repent as well.

To learn more about these vital prophecies, request your free copy of Nahum—An End-Time Prophecy for Germany.