U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated at a meeting of NATO defense ministers that Washington will conduct a comprehensive review of its military presence in Europe over the next six months.
According to him, European allies must take greater responsibility for their own security, as the era of American “subsidizing” of European defense is coming to an end, the BBC’s Russian Service reports.
Hegseth also confirmed that the U.S. has already begun reducing its participation in the NATO Allied Reaction Force.
However, the head of the Pentagon did not specify whether the review would lead to a reduction in the overall number of American troops in Europe. He emphasized that the process will be conducted in close coordination with the U.S. Congress.
According to observers, Hegseth’s statement is yet another confirmation of the Trump administration’s course on redistributing defense commitments within the alliance. However, experts note the particularly harsh tone of the American minister’s speech.
In his speech, Hegseth specifically addressed the issue of allied support for American operations. He stated that when assessing military presence in Europe, Washington will consider the readiness of partners to provide overflight rights and access to military bases.
Although specific countries were not named, Spain, Portugal, and Italy have previously restricted the use of their territory and airspace by American military during the conflict with Iran.
The head of the Pentagon also warned that the U.S. will openly point out to NATO countries the need for accelerated increases in defense spending.
According to him, the updated “NATO 3.0” concept envisions transforming the alliance into a more powerful military structure capable of independently ensuring Europe’s security and effectively deterring potential adversaries.
Simultaneously, Washington continues to reduce its contribution to the NATO Reaction Forces. As early as May, the American side informed allies of plans to withdraw part of the aviation and drones from these units.
As explained by the U.S. Air Force, this will reduce Europe’s dependence on American capabilities and increase the U.S.’s readiness for potential conflicts in other regions of the world.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that the reduction of American participation has already begun. In response, a number of allies, including Belgium, have expressed readiness to enhance their own contribution to the rapid reaction forces.
According to Reuters, this involves reducing the number of fighters, tanker aircraft, drones, and ships. Specifically, the number of American F-15 and F-15E in the reaction forces is planned to be reduced by about a third — to 99 units, and the number of heavy reconnaissance and strike drones to be halved — to 12 units.
