U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that Washington will review its military presence in Europe over the next six months. According to him, the reason is the insufficient defense spending of several NATO countries, as well as restrictions imposed by some allies on American military forces during the conflict with Iran.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told NATO allies on Thursday that the Pentagon will review the deployment of American troops in Europe over the next six months. At the same time, he criticized allies for their level of defense spending and their response to the war with Iran, as reported by The Times of Israel.
"This will be a real review. It must ensure a swift and irreversible movement of NATO towards a situation where Europe takes the lead and primary responsibility for its own defense," Hegseth stated at the NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels.
According to him, the results of the review will vary for different countries.
"Some states will fail it, while others will pass with flying colors," the minister said.
The Pentagon chief explained that the review is also aimed at ensuring that the U.S. has "clearly defined and guaranteed access, basing, and overflight rights," after some European countries imposed restrictions on American armed forces during the war with Iran.
"It was disgraceful. These allies put the sons and daughters of America, our sons and daughters, at risk. There is no justification for this," Hegseth said.
The U.S. is increasing pressure on allies ahead of the NATO summit next month, seeking to fulfill a promise made a year ago to significantly increase defense spending.
Hegseth also stated that from now on, American contributions to cover NATO's administrative costs — about $790 million in 2026 — will depend on whether allies meet established defense spending targets.
"If other allies do not urgently increase their spending, our contributions will be reduced," the minister warned.
He noted that President Donald Trump effectively put allies to the test to support the U.S.
"Trump gave our allies the opportunity to prove their support for America when we asked for help, and too many failed that test," Hegseth stated.
At the same time, the minister acknowledged that a number of NATO countries have significantly increased their defense spending.
"Some of our allies heard this signal and took the necessary measures. You know who they are, and we greatly appreciate it," he said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, commenting on Hegseth's statements, called the review of American military presence a "reasonable step."
"Today he simply continued to apply pressure, and I think that’s normal. That’s his job," Rutte noted.
Pete Hegseth's statements have become one of the harshest signals from Washington to European allies in recent times. The Trump administration has effectively made it clear that it expects more active participation from NATO countries in matters of their own security, increased defense spending, and readiness to support American military operations.
However, there is currently no talk of the U.S. withdrawing from NATO or abandoning commitments to collective defense. Nevertheless, Washington intends to review the scale of its military presence in Europe and link further funding of the Alliance to the fulfillment of commitments made by allies. For European countries, this means the need for accelerated development of their own defense capabilities and greater independence in security matters.
