US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month review of US forces in Europe, criticizing NATO allies for not doing enough to support the defense of Europe. Hegseth made the announcement at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, stating that the review will examine America’s force posture and basing in Europe.

NATO Allies Criticized

Hegseth’s comments come at a critical time for Europe, which has been rattled by statements from Trump administration officials about plans to draw down the amount of US forces and hardware stationed in Europe. Hegseth and other US administration officials have frequently criticized NATO, accusing Washington’s European allies of not contributing enough to the alliance’s defense efforts.

In response, European countries have increased their own military spending, pledging to spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense by 2035. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed that the US had reduced its contributions to the alliance’s force model, but sought to downplay the impact.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.