A British Army officer turned MP has warned NATO’s Article 5 is “effectively dead” and says Europe needs to form its own alliance without the US. Lib Dem MP Mike Martin, who sits on the Defence Committee, says the Government needs to reconsider its faith in Article 5 - the cornerstone of NATO security.

       The Afghanistan veteran says Europe must develop its own collective alliance, dubbed EATO, led by Britain or France as the continent’s two sole nuclear powers. He told the Express: “What I would like to see is a serious assessment as to whether they [the Government] think Article 5 is dead. I think it is and so do our European allies. And if that is the case, the next logical progression is collective defence in Europe under British leadership, because it’s either got to be us or the French.”

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       Faith in the US among the Western allies has eroded following comments made by the Trump administration, Mr Martin argued, and the situation is only likely to have worsened after the US President’s explosive row with Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

       He added: “You’ve got to have confidence in it [Article 5] to rely on it and there’s no confidence now. Therefore it is effectively dead.”

       His comments echoed those made by incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who warned NATO could cease to exist in its current form, with Europe taking care of its own defence.

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       A former NATO secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has also said Europe is “seemingly alone” and must be able to defend the continent itself.

       The US has said it remains committed to NATO and European security, but that protecting the continent is not of “primary concern”.

       Mr Trump told Mr Zelensky he was “disrespectful” and “gambling with World War 3” during their fiery exchange in the Oval Office.

       The very public war of words has only plunged the US’ role in European security into greater uncertainty.

       Former Tory defence minister and British Army officer Tobias Ellwood told the Express “it’s concerning that America is jumping into bed with Russia”.

       “When you are voting with Belarus and North Korea something is seriously wrong,” he said, referencing the US siding with Russia in voting against a recent UN resolution regarding the war.

       “What he just did was turn on Europe in support of Russia. It's shocking. Trump is treating the world as a jungle where you do deals with good and bad if it serves his interests.”

       He expressed fears that peace talks between the US and Russia - which so far have excluded Ukraine - “looks like appeasement”.

       Asked if Europe needs to form 'European NATO', Mr Ellwood added: "One hundred percent. We can't take the risk that the US wouldn't leave us and he is just blustering.

       "We can't play games with European security. If Putin is on the advance, and his objective remains to take all of Ukraine, then we need to be prepared for that.

       "That means going on our own. We need the courage to recognise America has altered its post-World War 2 relationship with Europe. We are in a very dark place now, but this is where people step up."

       Mr Martin said EATO could work with nations spending 3% of GDP on defence.

       The Government announced defence spending will increase from 2.3% to 2.5% by 2027 - but the Lib Dem MP warned that is “failing to rise to the moment”.

       He said: “We’re in a national emergency and we need to treat it like that.

       “The response was totally missing the scale of the challenge that we’re facing. It doesn’t grasp the nettle at all.”

       He also warned the UK is in a situation akin to the 1930s, in the years before the outbreak of WW2.

       He said: “Certainly this period is analogous to the 1930s and that was a period of rearmament in Europe. The question is are we 1935 now and we’ve got a few years to go or are we 1938 and it’s literally right round the corner.”

       On Sunday, Sir Keir Starmer convened a summit of European leaders in London to discuss the war.

       After the talks, he said Europe must realise it is “not a moment for more talk, it is time to act” and unveiled a four-step plan discussed by the leaders.

       This included a pledge to “develop a coalition of the willing” to defend a deal in Ukraine and guarantee a peace settlement.

       He told MPs on Monday that the UK must “lead from the front”.