Since the fall of the wall and the disintegration of the Warshau pact, the Russian threat radically shrunk. Its economy is the size of Italy's. Its military expenditure (61.7 billion) is only 26,5% percent of Europe's (232,8 billion) and a mere 7,7% of that of the US (801 billion). Nothing legitimises the continuation of NATO. Pascal Boniface * explains this in detail.

(in French).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik-UCJAEsL0

So no, Europe doesn't need US "protection". That is why France has always developed her own weapons, including nukes. Its time to work towards One Europe.

*Director of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS) and teaches at the Institute of European Studies at the University of Paris 8.