U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized NATO allies Thursday as he announced a six-month Pentagon review of American troop deployments in Europe, saying the outcome would depend on how quickly European nations assume greater responsibility for their own security.
The threat of a review was yet another surprise for European allies and Canada as they learn to deal with an increasingly unpredictable ally.
U.S. officials and senior military officers had promised to coordinate closely with the Europeans as America draws down.
Just weeks ago, the Trump administration said that it would no longer provide as much military support should any NATO member come under attack, leaving them scrambling to find equipment to plug any gaps.
In recent months, U.S. President Donald Trump and the Pentagon have sent conflicting signals about whether America is reducing or increasing its military footprint in Europe, as well as threatening to annex Greenland, a semiautonomous island that is part of ally Denmark.
