Hegseth increases pressure: US troop presence is being reassessed

Alliance defense

Hegseth increases pressure: US troop presence is being reassessed

Almost three weeks before the NATO summit, the USA is threatening allies who do not significantly increase their defense spending. Now the US presence in Europe as a whole is coming under scrutiny.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has accused allies of ongoing military negligence and announced a comprehensive review of the US troop presence in Europe. There will be a six-month investigation phase, he said at the meeting of NATO defense ministers Brussels. The ministers discussed ahead of the alliance summit planned in three weeks Ankara.

Hegseth criticized: “Some of the largest economies in the NATOsome of our richest countries, allies most comfortable talking about the rules-based international order and the cohesion of middle powers, still seem to believe that the era of free riding continues.”

Even if some states have significantly increased military spending, there are setbacks in strengthening NATO. He also criticized the USA are at war against Iran not been adequately supported. He didn’t name any allies directly, but both criticisms had previously been against states like Spain been put forward.

“And that is why we are redoubling our efforts to make NATO what it should always be: a balanced alliance in which Europe takes the lead in its own defense: NATO 3.0,” he said. For far too long, NATO has been “a paper tiger and a one-way street.”

The Allies had US President Donald Trump At the summit last year, we pledged to invest five percent of gross domestic product in defense and security every year from 2035 at the latest. Previously the target was two percent.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had previously confirmed that the USA would keep fewer military capabilities for deterrence and defense on standby under NATO command in the future. This is about commitments for the NATO Force Model mentioned. This determines in the alliance which member states have how many forces and capabilities available and how quickly they must be available.

According to Rutte, the US military’s plans to cancel the NATO Force Model in Europe will come into force immediately. “But if there were a war, we will all max out to ensure that we can fight the war,” said Rutte. When asked, he tried several times to dispel any possible concerns.

“Everything here revolves around NATO 3.0. A stronger Europe in a stronger NATO that we are building,” Rutte told journalists. The European NATO allies are already replacing some capabilities or are almost there. “More work” is needed in other areas.