Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prepares to give a television interview outside the White House, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-03-25T20:13:36Z LONDON (AP) As wake-up calls go, the alarms dont get much louder.Allies of the United States see the group chat between top U.S. officials about a planned attack in Yemen that accidentally included a journalist as a jaw-dropping security breach which casts doubt on intelligence-sharing with Washington and the security of joint military operations.Scary and reckless was the verdict of one European diplomat about the discussion on the Signal messaging app about strikes on Houthi rebels. Neil Melvin, a security expert at defense think tank the Royal United Services Institute, called it pretty shocking.Its some of the most high-ranking U.S. officials seeming to display a complete disregard for the normal security protocols, he said.Beyond the security concerns raised by the leaked chat, U.S. officials addressed the countrys trans-Atlantic allies with disdain as Vice President JD Vance complained about bailing out Europe and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth slammed pathetic European freeloading. The criticism is another blow to a long-standing relationship already strained by President Donald Trumps blunt America First approach and disregard for friendly nations. Melvin said that for Americas allies, the alarm clocks been ringing for a long time.In public, however, European officials insisted all was well in the trans-Atlantic relationship. We have a very close relationship with the U.S. on matters of security, defense and intelligence, said British Prime Minister Keir Starmers spokesman, Dave Pares. They are our closest ally when it comes to these matters, have been for many years and will be for many years to come.Frances Foreign Ministry said the United States is our ally, and France intends to continue its cooperation with Washington, as well as with all its allies and European partners, in order to address current challenges particularly in the area of European security. A growing divideSince taking office, the Trump administration has halted government funding for programs that support democratic principles around the world and presented a less welcoming face to visitors.U.S. embassies in at least 17 countries have posted warnings for would-be travelers that engaging in behavior deemed harmful by the government could get them deported. Several European countries have issued warnings about visiting the United States after international tourists were caught up in Trumps border crackdown.Trump has appalled allies with his repeatedly stated aim of taking over Greenland an autonomous Danish territory that Vance and second lady Usha Vance are due to visit this week and his desire to make Canada the 51st state.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country has to take greater ownership of its own defense in the face of threats: We have to look out for ourselves.Nathalie Loiseau, a member of the European parliament, told the BBC that she was flabbergasted by the breach.If I was (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, I would feel jobless. Russia has nothing more to do. You dont even need to spy on the U.S. administration. They leak by themselves, she said. US reliability questionedThe European diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, suggested the security breach could make allies question the reliability of the U.S. as a partner.The diplomat expressed hope that the Signal lapse was due to a lack of experience in government rather than a deliberate disregard for security.Asked if he had concerns about sharing intelligence with the U.S. after the Signal incident, Carney said its a serious, serious issue and all lessons must be taken. He said it would be important to see how people react to those mistakes and how they tighten them up.Britain could be particularly exposed by U.S. security breaches. Its intelligence network is entwined with the U.S. in the Five Eyes alliance, and the countries militaries work more closely than those of almost any other nations.Britains Royal Air Force provided air-to-air refueling for U.S. planes during the strike on the Houthis, but U.K. Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard insisted British personnel had not been put at risk by the breach. Weve got high confidence that the measures that we have got with our allies, including the United States, remain intact, he told lawmakers.Ed Davey, the leader of Britains opposition Liberal Democrats, said the lapse showed the Trump administration cant be trusted to protect its own intelligence and it could only be a matter of time until our own intelligence shared with them is also leaked. This could put British lives at risk, he said.Alex Clarkson, a lecturer in European and international studies at Kings College London, said the professionals and old hands who contained the damage during Trumps first term are largely gone.So what were having now is a manifestation of tendencies that were held in check that we already saw in the first round, he said. American frustrationThe U.S. has underpinned European security since World War II, and Trump is not the first president to bristle at the burden.From the Obama administration (onward), theres been quite some frustrations in the U.S. security apparatus about the failure of the Europeans to step up, Melvin said.Trump has gone much further than his predecessors in upending the decades-old security arrangements. He has long contended the U.S. needs to completely rethink its relationship with the rest of the world, saying other countries have been taking advantage of the nations military might by not paying enough for their own defense.Trump has praised autocrats including Putin and sent chills through NATO during last years election campaign with his comment that Russia should do whatever the hell it wants to members that dont meet military spending targets.Theres a real sense of divorce, that America is not just disinterested in the trans-Atlantic alliance but views Europe fundamentally as an adversary, said Max Bergmann, a former State Department official who now works at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.Its very clear at this point, abundantly clear, that it will be next to impossible to count on the United States for the cause of defending democracy in the world, said Kevin Casas-Zamora, secretary-general of the pro-democracy group International IDEA.NATO leaders point out that Trumps criticism and the war in Ukraine have led to a majority of member states meeting the target of spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense.Trumps reelection and rapprochement with Putin has hastened European military plans, with nations scrambling to ramp up weapons production and create their own security structures including a U.K.- and France-led coalition of the willing to help guarantee a future ceasefire in Ukraine. Clarkson said Europe has more strength than many give it credit for, and severing the trans-Atlantic bond would hurt the U.S., too.One shouldnt underestimate European military industrial capacity, he said. There are all kinds of things that can go wrong but there is an element here also that the Americans are awakening a sleeping giant.___Riccardi reported from Denver, Colorado. Associated Press writers Ali Swenson in New York, Chris Megerian in Washington. John Leicester in Paris and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed. JILL LAWLESS Lawless is an Associated Press reporter covering U.K. politics and more. She is based in London. twitter mailto EMMA BURROWS Burrows is an Associated Press reporter covering Russia, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. She is based in London. twitter