Pentagon chief lashes out at NATO allies

Brussels, US Defence 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 defence of Europe,” he told his NATO counterparts in Brussels.

Hegseth lambasted European allies for failing to provide US 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 of those of Vice President JD Vance in February last year that angered many Europeans.

“Instead of tanks and fighters and air defences, the focus has been on gender equity and climate change and defence austerity. Europe’s borders flew wide open, welfare states expanded, and defence budgets cratered. Along with Europe’s belief in itself and its civilisation,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth’s comments largely mischaracterised European policies today. On defence, European allies and Canada have launched an unprecedented effort to boost defence spending and expand their armed forces. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte noted on Thursday that they spent $90 billion more on defence last year, a 20 per cent 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 organisation 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 came under attack.  European allies and Canada are trying to work out how to plug the gaps. NATO’s supreme allied commander, an American, is working on backup plans to defend Europe after the US signalled on June 3 that it would no longer supply an aircraft carrier and support ships, aerial refuelling 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.