US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth (C)addresses the North Atlantic Council meeting of Defence Ministers during the NATO defence ministers' meeting at the NATO headquarters on June 18, 2026 in Brussels, Belgium. (Omar Havana/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth today announced a sixth-month review of America’s force posture and basing in Europe, a move likely to make allies nervous about the future of American military support for the alliance.
“This review will be conducted with the benefit of input from the United States military, European command, it will involve consultations with the US Congress and with our allies,” Hegseth said at a meeting of the NATO defense ministers in Brussels. “But make no mistake about it, this will be a real review.”
Hegseth said the review will be “designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe, stepping up to ensure our forces are postured for America’s global needs, and making sure that our access, basing, and overflight are clearly delineated and assured.”
That last line stands out in the context of complaints from the White House after Spain would not allow American jets headed to Iran to use its airspace. More broadly, the Trump administration has chided NATO nations for not joining in on the Iran war off the bat; European leaders, for their part, have argued that the US did not consult with them before starting the war.
