Pentagon chief lashes out at NATO allies and announces a review of US
forces in Europe
[June 18, 2026]
By LORNE COOK
BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at NATO
allies on Thursday, announcing a six-month Pentagon review of American
forces in Europe whose outcome will depend on how fast the Europeans
take responsibility for their own security.
“This will be a real review. It will be designed to ensure that NATO is
moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take
primary responsibility for the defense of Europe,” he told his NATO
counterparts in Brussels.
Hegseth lambasted European allies for failing to provide U.S. forces
access to bases in Europe to launch attacks on Iran, calling it
“shameful.”
“These allies, they put America’s sons and daughters, our sons and
daughters, at risk by denying them the predictable access, basing and
overflight that never should have been in question at all,” he said.
Taking the microphone at the top of the meeting, Hegseth also railed
against migration and gender equality policies in Europe, in remarks
reminiscent to those of Vice President JD Vance in February last year
that angered many Europeans.
“Instead of tanks and fighters and air defenses, the focus has been on
gender equity and climate change and defense austerity. Europe’s borders
flew wide open, welfare states expanded, defense budgets cratered. Along
with Europe’s belief in itself and its civilization,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth's comments largely mischaracterized European policies today. On
defense, European allies and Canada have launched an unprecedented
effort to boost defense spending and expand their armed forces. NATO
Secretary-General Mark Rutte noted on Thursday that they spent $90
billion more on defense last year, a 20% increase over 2024. And while
Europe accepted large numbers of migrants and asylum seekers more than a
decade ago, most countries have tightened their borders since.
The Trump administration now wants a reboot of the 32-nation
organization to turn it into a “NATO 3.0” capable of deterring any
threat, Hegseth said.
Hegseth's remarks came a few weeks after the United States told its
allies that it would no longer supply certain warships and aircraft if
one of them comes under attack. European allies and Canada are trying to
work out how to plug the gaps.
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United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a press
statement on arrival for a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO
headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP
Photo/Virginia Mayo)
NATO’s supreme allied commander, an American, is working on backup
plans to defend Europe after the U.S. signaled on June 3 that it
would no longer supply an aircraft carrier and support ships, aerial
refueling planes and dozens of fighter jets, among other military
assets, in a crisis.
The Trump administration insists that it needs to be able to plan
for two simultaneous conflicts and wants more military resources at
hand should a conflict break out with China in the Indo-Pacific
region.
Under NATO’s collective security guarantee – Article 5 of its
founding treaty – the 32 allies pledge that an attack on one of them
will be considered an attack on all. It does not oblige them to
provide military support, although many likely would.
In essence, the United States is scaling back how it might help
should an ally trigger Article 5. The U.S. has by far NATO’s biggest
armed forces. It does not intend to withdraw its nuclear weapons in
Europe, which are key to NATO’s deterrence.
To underscore that point, NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group issued its
first statement in 19 years after it had assembled at Thursday’s
meeting.
In the statement, it “recalled that the strategic nuclear forces of
the Alliance remain the supreme guarantee of Allied security and
underpin NATO’s extended deterrence architecture.”
The ministers “agreed to continue enhancing NATO’s nuclear
deterrence mission by modernizing NATO’s nuclear capabilities,
strengthening its nuclear planning capacity, and adapting to achieve
its security interests.”
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