European leaders express concern over Trump's cabinet picks and NATO support

European leaders are concerned about President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks, fearing a potential decline in U.S. support for NATO. While the nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state offers some reassurance, the choices of Tulsi Gabbard and Pete Hegseth raise alarms due to their limited experience. Gabbard's past promotion of Kremlin narratives has particularly unsettled European diplomats. Concerns are growing that these appointments may lead to a lack of checks on Trump's more unilateral foreign policy approaches, reminiscent of his first term. German lawmaker Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann stated that the era of relying on U.S. protection is over. European leaders are now preparing for a future where they may need to navigate security challenges independently.