In a significant development, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), U.S. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, has stated that European allies have managed to fill most of the gaps left by the United States' decision to scale back its military contributions in crisis situations. This revelation comes ahead of the NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Turkey, where force planning is expected to be a key agenda item. The US had announced on June 3 that it would no longer provide an aircraft carrier and support ships, aerial refueling planes, fighter jets, and other assets to Europe. In response, NATO commanders have been considering backup plans in case of an attack against Europe. The NATO Force Model, which outlines the military assets available from the 32 member nations during times of peace, crisis, or war, has been significantly affected by these cutbacks. However, Grynkiewicz asserted that European allies have made substantial progress in filling these gaps within a matter of weeks. In areas where they have not, alternate capabilities are being considered to ensure matching effectiveness. The US's decision to focus more on potential threats elsewhere, particularly from China in the Indo-Pacific region, has taken many allies by surprise. European allies and Canada have been reviewing their inventories to identify resources that could be offered should one of them face an attack. Britain, for instance, has placed a second aircraft carrier and F35 fighter jets on higher alert for emergency use. While NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has downplayed the impact of the Trump administration's decision, he emphasized that it is not about current force and asset locations but rather who would contribute what if the alliance's defense plans were activated, particularly in an Article 5 situation, which triggers NATO's collective security guarantee.