It has been claimed that the United States has informed its European allies of plans to significantly reduce its military contributions to NATO and warned them to act quickly to fill the gap.
According to a report published by the German magazine Der Spiegel, a senior Pentagon official briefed European allies last week during a confidential meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels about the plans of the administration of US President Donald Trump. European officials were reportedly surprised by the scale of the planned cuts.
The report also stated that Alexander Velez-Green, a representative of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, told NATO members that “the United States plans to allocate far fewer resources to NATO’s ready force pool.”
Including Fighter Jets and Refueling Aircraft
Under the plan, the number of deployable drones, fighter jets, aerial refueling aircraft, warships, and other naval assets is expected to be reduced.
The report further claimed that the US would significantly cut the number of aircraft assigned to NATO. At the same time, Washington reportedly assured its European allies that it would continue maintaining nuclear deterrence capabilities on the continent, while expecting European countries to assume primary responsibility for conventional defense.