Hegseth orders review of US troops in Europe, calls NATO ‘paper tiger’ as immediate cuts take effect

At a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth launched a fresh broadside against European allies, accusing them of freeloading on American military might. He announced a six-month review of the US force presence in Europe and said the alliance must transform into a ‘NATO 3.0’ that puts Europe in charge of its own conventional defence.

Immediate cuts take effect

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that the reductions to US capabilities allocated to NATO planning tools are now in force. The cuts, communicated to allies on 22 May and detailed in early June, cover a carrier strike group, tanker aircraft and dozens of fighter jets that Washington will no longer keep on standby for European defence. Rutte stressed that in the event of actual war all allies, including the United States, would still ‘max out’.

If there were a war, we would all max out to ensure we can wage war.

Hegseth’s ‘paper tiger’ attack and the push for NATO 3.0

Hegseth did not mince words.

For too long NATO has been a paper tiger and a one‑way street.

He said the US would no longer pay more for alliance defence than the allies themselves, and American dues would be contingent on others meeting spending targets. His vision of ‘NATO 3.0’ would be a classic deterrence alliance in which Europe takes the lead on its continent, while the US reorientates toward the Indo-Pacific. He noted that the US plans to invest roughly $1.5 trillion in its own military in 2027, calling it an ‘arsenal of freedom’ that first protects America but also strengthens allies.

European allies ask for time

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius called for a managed transition, acknowledging the gaps but warning that a too‑rapid pullback could be dangerous.

On the whole we will be able to compensate for much, but we need more time.

EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius demanded more clarity from Washington on the scale and speed of the resource shift. Allies are expected to discuss their rearmament efforts ahead of a NATO summit in Turkey in about three weeks.

The Iran test and the Indo-Pacific pivot

Hegseth cited the reluctance of many European capitals to assist the US during recent strikes on Iran as proof that allies failed a key test. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had publicly questioned the operation, warning about the difficulty of exiting such conflicts. In response, Hegseth said the US can no longer guarantee that bases and overflight rights will be predictably available. The Pentagon insists it must free up assets for a potential conflict with China, which the Trump administration regards as the greater long-term challenge.