US announces reassessment of its military deployment in Europe

(AFP) Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Thursday at NATO a reassessment of the U.S. military presence in Europe, amid pressure from Washington for its allies to take charge of their own defense.

"This will be a real review. It will be designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe," Hegseth said at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

"It's a review that some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colors," he said, noting that the process will last about six months.

The Pentagon chief noted that the measure also aims to ensure that U.S. “access, basing and overflight are clearly delineated and assured,” after some European countries imposed restrictions on U.S. forces during the war with Iran.

"It was shameful. These allies, they put America's sons and daughters, our sons and daughters, at risk. There's no excuse for that," he said.

The U.S. wants to ensure that its allies fulfill the commitment made last year to significantly increase their defense spending, ahead of a NATO summit scheduled for next month in Turkey.

The U.S. will make payment of its share contingent on allies complying

Hegseth warned that, from now on, the payment of U.S. contributions to cover NATO’s operating costs—which will amount to about $790 million in 2026—will be “contingent” on allies meeting their spending targets.

"Where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues contributions will go down," he emphasized.

The warning from the secretary of war—who until now had adopted a conciliatory tone—serves as a cautionary message to NATO allies concerned about Washington’s commitment to the defense of Europe.

"More time"

Last year, during the NATO summit in The Hague, the allies committed to allocating at least 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) to defense spending by 2035, of which 3.5% would be for strictly military expenditures.

Spain publicly distanced itself from that goal, which has earned it several public rebukes from Donald Trump.

Last year, the 32 NATO countries had already met the previous target: 2% of GDP for military spending, as decided in 2014.

Despite the criticism, the secretary of war acknowledged the progress made by many NATO members in strengthening their defense and assured that progress is being made.

“Some of our allies have gotten the message and stepped up. You know who you are, and we very much appreciate it,” he said.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte noted that "Europe and Canada spending in 2025 [reached] more than $90 billion extra compared to 2024, which is almost a 20 percent increase in defence spending."

Washington has made it clear to Europe that it wants the continent’s allies to assume primary responsibility for their own conventional defense, as the United States shifts its focus toward China.

“By and large, we'll be able to compensate for many things. But we need a bit more time, and that is the clear message,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

The U.S. shift in policy raises fears that Europe’s vulnerability to Russia will increase, four years after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.