US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has delivered a blistering warning to America’s Nato allies: some “will fail” a new six-month review of US forces in Europe. Speaking at a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels, Hegseth announced the review, which he termed Nato 3.0, aimed at ensuring “Europe leading” on its own security. He singled out allies he suggested had been “free-riding”, without naming them, and said future US contributions to Nato’s common-funded budget would be tied to allies meeting defence spending targets. “Where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues contributions will go down,” Hegseth said.
His announcement follows a US decision to scale back commitments to the Nato Force Model, a high-readiness force that the alliance’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe can count on at short notice. Washington has already moved to withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany, bringing US troop levels in Europe closer to where they stood before Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The US has also reduced contributions including fighter aircraft, airborne refuelling tankers, maritime patrol planes and naval capabilities that European allies may struggle to replace quickly. A senior Nato official conceded that “not everything” that the US was withdrawing “can be absolutely replaced”.
“Hegseth announces six-month NATO review and warns some allies 'will fail'.”
At the same meeting, UK Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis arrived without the UK’s long-delayed defence investment plan (DIP) in place. His predecessor, John Healey, resigned last week, warning that the plan “falls well short” of what is needed to protect the UK. Healey said the DIP set out only “a rise at 0.08% from next year to 2030”, with “no date for reaching 3%, no path to 3.5%”. The government has vowed to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035, in line with Nato commitments. Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the chief of the defence staff, warned that without more cash the armed forces would have to “dial back” training and operations.
Jarvis described the gathering as a “moment of challenge” and emphasised the need to support Ukraine’s fight against Vladimir Putin’s “barbaric invasion”. He said the UK’s pledge of 150,000 drones and 350 air defence missiles and radars by the end of the year would help protect innocent Ukrainians.
Hegseth said some Nato allies had “yet to show a credible path” to higher defence spending. The US wants members to reach 5% of GDP, including 3.5% on core defence and 1.5% on related infrastructure. Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte said defence spending had already risen €90bn last year — a rise of almost 20% — and Europeans were “already backfilling” resources the US was cutting back on. He called the US review “completely acceptable” and “only logical”.
The review will examine US force posture and basing across Europe, including troop levels, military access, basing rights and overflight permissions. “Some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colours,” Hegseth warned. The message lands ahead of next month’s Nato leaders’ summit in Ankara, where President Donald Trump is expected to press allies to turn spending pledges into usable military power.