Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels, announced a six-month review of U.S. troop posture in Europe as part of a broader push to realign the alliance around a return to its core military purpose and greater European responsibility for European defense.
Hegseth sharply criticized NATO allies, echoing President Trump’s long-standing “paper tiger” description of the alliance, saying NATO has operated too long as a “one-way street” built on U.S. burden-sharing.
He said the review will assess U.S. force posture across Europe, including troop levels, basing access, and logistics positioning. He also reiterated that the United States remains committed to NATO deterrence, even as he presses for structural changes.
Calling for a shift toward what he labeled “NATO 3.0,” Hegseth said the alliance must return to its original Cold War-era military focus, arguing that NATO drifted during what he described as a “distraction era” focused on non-military priorities like climate policy and equity initiatives.
He said future U.S. funding and participation will be tied more directly to whether allies meet defense spending obligations, warning that American contributions could be reduced if commitments are not met.
He framed the overhaul as part of restoring NATO’s core defense function while shifting greater responsibility for European security onto European states themselves.
