US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday advised NATO alliance allies about their military spending and the US’s lack of initial support for Iran.
Addressing fellow defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Hegseth doubled down on US President Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw troops from Europe – where Washington deploys them to assist in the defense of Europe, as well as to enable more rapid projection of US military power abroad.
Hegseth said Washington would conduct a review to “examine America’s strength and base in Europe.”
Reporting from Brussels, DW correspondent Terry Schultz said that Hegseth “picked up the script where he left off in his highly criticized speech in Normandy earlier this month.”
“In anger linked to dissatisfaction with the European response to President Trump’s war on Iran, Hegseth announced a six-month process to review the U.S. defense posture in Europe, looking at troop numbers and presence at bases,” he said.
“This, of course, comes on the heels of a sharp reduction in the assets pledged by the US to NATO’s crisis plans, known as the force model.”
Hegseth cites lack of support against Iran
Hegseth also noted Trump’s apparent lack of enthusiasm for his decision to attack Iran – which he did to Israel without consulting NATO allies.
Hegseth said America’s NATO partners had acted “shamefully”, adding, “These allies… they have put America’s sons and daughters… our sons and daughters… at risk. There is no excuse for this.”
Trump’s decision to launch an undeclared war with Iran without clear objectives upset allies, with some refusing to accede to last-second requests regarding use of NATO airspace and access to US bases in NATO countries such as Italy.
Finally, Hegseth threatened that the US could consider halting its contributions to military alliances if partners fail to meet spending targets, saying, “Where other allies do not spend promptly, our outstanding contributions will be reduced.”
“Some of NATO’s largest economies, some of our richest countries, the allies who are happiest with the rules-based international order and the coming together of middle powers, still feel that the era of free-riding has arrived,” Hegseth said.
“This is not what the President or the United States expects from this alliance. This is not what any reasonable person would expect. And it just won’t cut it now. And so we’re redoubling our effort to make NATO what it was always meant to be.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte: ‘We are in a really good place’
Despite the aggressive attitude of the US Defense Secretary, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte claimed on Thursday that everything is fine.
At a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to irritate Europe with his aggressive war in Ukraine, Rutte appeared unfazed by a possible US troop withdrawal.
“We are in a really good position,” Rutte said, adding that adjustments were already underway to compensate for the new US stance. “Some of it is already done, some is in progress. We’re working on that.”
Rutte also tried to make clear that a US defeat would not have a negative impact on European security.
“If war breaks out, obviously all the allies… including the United States… will do whatever they can. I have every confidence that we will fight that war. And we will win it.”
Regarding the budget, Rutte said: “When it comes to spending, what we are seeing is astonishing amounts of money coming in,” he said, pointing out that Canada and Europe have increased spending by about 20% year-on-year in 2025.
German Defense Minister Pistorius: ‘We need time’
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius agreed on Thursday that European allies would be able to fill any security gaps left after the US withdrawal, but made clear the partners would not be able to change stance overnight.
“Overall we will be able to make up for a lot, but we need a little more time,” Pistorius said in Brussels.
“This is difficult and dangerous for the security of NATO’s European front,” Pistorius said. [military] Capabilities are withdrawn too quickly and before it is clear when they can be replaced.”
The German defense minister said NATO members would have to negotiate with their “American partners” to address potential shortcomings in long-range weapons, for example.
Pistorius also noted the fact that a German minesweeper had passed through the Suez Canal on its way to the Strait of Hormuz to help clear the international transport route.
Iran has blocked global oil supplies since the US launched the war on February 28 and Trump is keen to assist NATO allies in restarting shipping traffic.
Germany had promised to help remove Iranian mines from the strait as soon as a peace deal was reached between Washington and Tehran. Such a document was signed yesterday, bringing a temporary end to nearly 16 weeks of hostilities.
Edited by: Zack Crellin