US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced a six-month ‘NATO 3.0 review’ to examine the US military’s force posture and basing in Europe, as the Trump administration seeks to shift greater responsibility for European security onto NATO’s European members.
Addressing NATO defence ministers in Brussels, Hegseth said the review would include input from the US military, US European Command, consultations with Congress, and discussions with allies, adding that it would be “a real review” focused on ensuring Europe takes the lead in its own defence.
“Our allies must step up,” Hegseth said, arguing that “for too long, NATO has been a paper tiger and a one-way street.” He described the initiative as the “NATO 3.0 review”, aimed at creating “a balanced alliance with Europe in the lead for its own defence.”
He said the review would assess whether NATO is moving “fast and irreversibly” towards Europe assuming primary responsibility for the continent’s defence, while ensuring US forces remain positioned to meet America’s global priorities.
Hegseth also announced that future US financial contributions to NATO would be tied to allies meeting agreed defence spending targets, stating: “Where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues contributions will go down. NATO will be a two-way street.”
The announcement comes as Washington continues reassessing its military presence in Europe ahead of next month’s NATO summit in Ankara.
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