Hegseth Orders NATO Force Review, Warns Europe Must Take Lead in Its Own Defense

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told NATO leaders Thursday that the Pentagon is launching a six-month review of U.S. force posture and basing in Europe, signaling a major push by the Trump administration to ensure European allies assume primary responsibility for defending the continent.

Speaking at a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Hegseth said the review would include consultations with Congress, U.S. European Command, and NATO allies. But he made clear the assessment would not be symbolic.

“Make no mistake about it. This will be a real review,” Hegseth said, adding that it would be designed to move NATO “fast and irreversibly” toward Europe taking the lead in its own defense.

Hegseth framed the effort as part of a broader return to NATO’s original Cold War-era purpose: a hard-edged military alliance built on deterrence, readiness, and shared sacrifice. He criticized decades of European defense cuts after the Soviet Union’s collapse, saying too many allies relied on American power while spending more heavily on domestic welfare states and political priorities.

“NATO’s power did not come from committees or from meetings or from small flags on fancy tables; it came from warriors,” Hegseth said.

The defense secretary also warned that U.S. financial support for NATO could be reduced if allies fail to meet defense-spending commitments, including a new target of 5% of gross domestic product. The United States currently provides about 15% of NATO’s operating budget, according to alliance figures.

“NATO will be a two-way street,” Hegseth said. “America cannot care for or pay more for Europe’s defense than our allies do.”

Hegseth also sharply rebuked NATO members that refused to support U.S. military operations against Iran, including countries that reportedly denied basing or overflight access during the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign. Without naming every country, he said some allies had hidden behind legal arguments or public criticism while American forces carried the burden.

“They put America’s sons and daughters at risk,” Hegseth said.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte backed Hegseth’s pressure campaign, saying Europe must move faster to turn higher defense spending into real combat power. “He is keeping the pressure on,” Rutte said. “I’m happy he does this.”

The review comes as the Trump administration seeks to shift more responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense to European governments while preserving America’s nuclear umbrella over the alliance. Still, the move is expected to face resistance in Congress, where lawmakers from both parties have warned against reducing U.S. forces too quickly while Russia remains a central threat.

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