Pentagon chief announces NATO 3.0 review of US force posture in Europe

The United States announced a comprehensive review of its military presence in Europe on Thursday, aiming to shift primary responsibility for the continent's defense to its NATO allies. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a gathering of NATO defense ministers in Brussels that the "NATO 3.0 review" would take up to six months to examine American force posture and basing across the region. "We're doubling down on our effort to make NATO what it always was supposed to be, a balanced alliance with Europe in the lead for its own defense," Hegseth stated.

Criticism of allies and financial leverage

Hegseth delivered a sharp rebuke of what he called the "distraction, deindustrialization, and demilitarization" of the post-Cold War era, arguing that NATO must return to a "hard-edged war fighting" military posture. He warned that US annual "NATO dues" would be contingent on allies meeting defense spending targets, with Washington set to reduce its financial contributions if allies do not spend with "urgency". He also criticized European allies for restricting US access to bases and overflight rights during the Iran war, calling such behavior "shameful" and alleging it put American service members at risk.