Hegseth Launches Six-Month Review of U.S. Forces in Europe

The United States signaled it may scale back its military footprint in Europe unless allies accelerate their own defense efforts. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told NATO ministers in Brussels on June 18 that a Pentagon review of American force posture and basing would last up to six months and would judge whether European nations are assuming primary responsibility for the continent’s security.

Hegseth described the process as one that “some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colors.” He said the review aims to move NATO “fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading” and cited recent refusals by some allies to grant base access or overflight for operations related to the Iran conflict. Those decisions, he stated, placed U.S. personnel “at risk by denying them the predictable access, basing and overflight that never should have been in question at all.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte noted that the United States has already lowered its contributions to the alliance’s crisis-response forces. European allies and Canada increased defense spending by $90 billion last year, a 20 percent rise, yet the Trump administration is pressing for a new minimum of 5 percent of GDP, with 3.5 percent for core defense. Hegseth referred to the effort as the “NATO 3.0 review,” involving input from U.S. European Command and Congress.

The Nuclear Planning Group issued its first statement in 19 years, reaffirming strategic nuclear forces as the alliance’s supreme guarantee. Under Article 5, an attack on one member is considered an attack on all, though the treaty does not mandate specific military support. The United States retains the largest forces in the alliance and has no plans to withdraw its nuclear weapons from Europe.