Pete Hegseth Orders Six-Month Review of U.S. Troop Levels in Europe, Cuts Crisis Assets

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told counterparts in Brussels on Thursday that the Pentagon will conduct a six-month review of troop levels in Europe as Washington seeks to scale back its military footprint and shift more of the U.S. role at NATO to European allies.

“US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Thursday berated NATO alliance partners over their military spending and lack of initial support for the US war in Iran”

DW

Hegseth said the United States will review force levels and is immediately cutting the number of assets it would activate for the continent in a crisis, while DW reported that he tied the rebuke to dissatisfaction with the European response to President Donald Trump's war on Iran.

DW

DW said Hegseth announced the six-month process of reviewing the US defense posture in Europe, including the number of forces and presence on bases, and noted it came on the heels of a sharp reduction in the assets the US will pledge to NATO's crisis plans known as the Force Model.

Hegseth also cited a lack of support against Iran and said NATO partners acted in a "shameful" way, adding, "These allies… they put America's sons and daughters… our sons and daughters… at risk."

While Hegseth berated NATO partners over their military spending and lack of initial support for the US war in Iran, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters in Brussels that "We are in a really good space."

Rutte said adjustments are already underway to compensate for the new US posture and that "Some of this is already done, some of this is in progress. We are working on that."

KOKH

DW reported that Hegseth also threatened to withhold U.S. contributions to the military alliance if partners fail to meet spending targets, saying, "Where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues contributions will go down."

DW further described Hegseth’s criticism as an angry rebuke tied to the European response to President Trump's war on Iran, and said some allies refused last-second requests regarding the use of NATO airspace and access to US bases in NATO countries like Italy.

Hegseth said the review would examine America's force posture and basing in Europe and assess whether the U.S. has full access and overflight "when we need it," as he berated European allies for refusing to provide U.S. military forces access to bases to attack Iran.

“BRUSSELS — The Pentagon will conduct a six-month review of troop levels in Europe as it seeks to scale back its military footprint and shift more of the U”

The Washington Post

KOKH quoted Hegseth saying, "This will be a real review," and described his argument that NATO must move fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe.

KOKH also reported that a summit of NATO leaders in Turkey is planned for July 7 and 8, and that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday that Europe and Canada had spent $90 billion more on defense last year, describing it as a 20% increase from 2024.

The Washington Post added that the United States does not intend to withdraw its nuclear weapons from Europe, and KOKH reported that NATO's Nuclear Planning Group issued its first statement in 19 years after the Brussels meeting, writing that it "recalled that the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance remain the supreme guarantee of Allied security."