Cuts in European defense spending, moreover, are starting to cause serious tensions within the Atlantic Alliance. NATO is often described as a construction with two pillars and an architrave symbolizing the common values that form the basis of the alliance.
此外，欧洲国防经费的削减也引发了大西洋联盟内部的紧张关系。北约组织从来被认为是“两根支柱（美欧），一条横梁（共同的价值观）”，但即便是冷战时期，美国也经常指责欧洲那根“支柱”形同虚设，而美国人想要的则是更大程度上的“责任分担”。