Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced a review of U.S. military troops in Europe during a critical address to NATO defense ministers.
The review, which could last up to six months, “will examine America's force posture and basing in Europe” and will include consultations with the U.S. Congress.
“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 the NATO headquarters in Brussels.
“It’s a review that some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colors.”
Hegseth framed the decision as part of the U.S.’ attempt to “make NATO what it was always supposed to be, a balanced alliance."
The Defense Secretary lambasted NATO allies who refused to allow the U.S. access to joint bases for offensive strikes and conflict-related activities during the Iran war.
He argued this “shameful” response had put America’s sons and daughters “at risk.”
The fallout of the Iran war has splintered relations between U.S. President Donald Trump and several of his once-strong European allies, including U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Hegseth also raised issue with the financial contributions of allied nations and threatened to withhold dues if allies don’t meet their defense spending commitments.
NATO allies who “go on about the rules-based international order and middle powers banding together, still seem to think the era of free-riding is here,” he claimed. “For too long, NATO has been a paper tiger, and a one-way street. No more.”
Hegseth may have been referencing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at Davos in January, during which he said “every day we're reminded that we live in an era of great power rivalry, that the rules-based order is fading, that the strong can do what they can, and the weak must s
