U.S. Defence Secretary Calls for Faster European Self‑Reliance as He Initiates Six‑Month Force Review

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six‑month Pentagon review of American forces stationed in Europe, emphasizing that its findings will hinge on how quickly European nations assume responsibility for their own security.

The announcement caught European allies and Canada off guard, highlighting growing uncertainty about the United States’ long‑term commitment on the continent.

U.S. officials have pledged close coordination with European partners as Washington reduces its troop presence—a process that began in Germany, Spain and Italy after former President Donald Trump’s disputes with their leaders.

In recent months, mixed messages from the Trump administration have left allies unclear whether the U.S. intends to shrink or expand its European footprint, even as the administration threatened to annex Greenland, a semi‑autonomous part of Denmark.

Weeks ago, the administration indicated it would scale back military support should any NATO member be attacked.

“This will be a real review, designed to ensure NATO moves rapidly and irrevocably toward Europe taking primary responsibility for its own defence,” Hegseth told his NATO counterparts in Brussels.

“Some countries will fall short, others will excel,” the defence chief added.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz responded that allies have long been aware of Washington’s long‑term plans to redeploy troops and must now bolster their own security capabilities.

“We know we must do more, and we are doing it,” Merz said.

During a speech at NATO headquarters, Hegseth criticised European partners for denying U.S. forces base access for potential operations against Iran, calling the stance “shameful.”

“These allies jeopardise American service members by refusing predictable access, basing and overflight that should never have been in question,” he asserted, adding that the review will also assess U.S. rights to full access and overflight when required.

He also targeted European policies on migration and gender equality, echoing remarks previously made by Vice President JD Vance that sparked controversy.

“Instead of focusing on tanks, fighters and air defences, the emphasis has shifted to gender equity, climate change and defence austerity. Europe’s borders have opened, welfare states have expanded, defence budgets have shrunk, and confidence in Europe’s civilisation has waned,” Hegseth said.

This visit marked Hegseth’s first NATO engagement of the year after skipping a February meeting. He departed Brussels before the summit concluded and before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s scheduled appeal for additional weapons.

Speaking to reporters at Brussels Airport, Hegseth noted, “It was encouraging to hear country after country say, ‘We’ll meet our target.’ A few outliers remain, and we will address them directly during the review.”

The remarks could introduce further uncertainty ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit in Turkey next month.

Additional sources: AP

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