Hegseth warns NATO allies, orders review of U.S. troops in Europe

Pete Hegseth turned a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels into a warning shot, telling allies that their defense spending and their response to the U.S. war in Iran would shape the future of American troops in Europe. Speaking at NATO headquarters on June 18, the defense secretary said some countries would “fail” an upcoming review, while others would pass it “with flying colors.”

The Pentagon review is expected to last up to six months and will include consultations with the U.S. Congress, which has set a minimum number of U.S. forces in Europe. Hegseth said the review would examine whether allies are providing the basing and overflight rights Washington wants, putting allied territory and airspace at the center of the Trump administration’s effort to reshape the American footprint on the continent. His message was blunt: NATO partners that do not meet Washington’s expectations could find the U.S. presence in Europe reconsidered.

Hegseth also attacked allies that did not back the United States during its war in Iran, saying countries that denied basing and overflight rights were being “shameful.” He threatened to withhold some U.S. dues to NATO if allies continue what he called “free riding” and fail to meet defense-spending commitments. The remarks linked Europe’s military burden-sharing directly to American war planning in the Middle East, widening the dispute beyond traditional NATO concerns about deterrence on the continent.

The warning landed just as the alliance heads toward its next summit in Ankara in July, where members are expected to face another round of pressure over readiness, spending and industrial capacity. Mark Rutte, NATO’s secretary general, said a day earlier that allies were making progress toward “a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO,” adding that many countries had been filling gaps left by U.S. cuts to NATO crisis-force contributions. He framed Brussels as “the last big meeting we will have before the Ankara Summit,” and said that meeting would be about implementation.

For Europe, the issue is no longer only how much to spend. Hegseth’s review tests whether NATO governments will support U.S. military action outside the treaty’s core mission, and how far they are willing to align their airspace, bases and political backing with Washington’s wider strategy on Iran. The answer will shape troop levels, burden-sharing and the credibility of U.S. leadership inside the alliance.