European officials are reportedly scrambling after the Trump administration signaled plans to dramatically reduce the U.S. military capabilities available to NATO during future crises, including cuts to fighter jets, strategic bombers, destroyers, and submarine support.
According to reports first detailed by Germany’s Der Spiegel and later confirmed by Reuters, Pentagon adviser Alexander Velez-Green briefed NATO officials in Brussels behind closed doors last week about a sweeping restructuring of America’s role inside the alliance.
The proposed changes would reportedly slash the number of U.S. fighter jets allocated to NATO operations by roughly one-third while cutting strategic bomber commitments in half. The U.S. Navy also plans to reduce destroyer availability and eliminate submarine support assigned directly to NATO contingency operations.
European governments interpreted the message as a warning that Washington expects NATO members to rapidly fill the military gaps themselves or risk diminished American protection.
The reports fueled fresh fears across Europe that President Donald Trump is moving toward a far more transactional NATO strategy after years of criticizing allies for what he sees as chronic underinvestment in defense.
Trump has repeatedly accused European governments of relying too heavily on American taxpayers for continental security. Since returning to office, his administration has pressed NATO members to dramatically increase military spending while signaling the U.S. wants to shift more resources toward the Indo-Pacific and other global priorities.
The alliance is already under strain following disputes over Iran, Ukraine, and broader questions surrounding America’s long-term commitment to European security.
Still, despite the dramatic headlines, the reports do not indicate the United States is fully withdrawing from NATO or abandoning Europe altogether.
The U.S. still maintains tens of thousands of troops across the continent, including major deployments in Germany, Poland, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The administration is instead reducing the pool of military assets specifically earmarked for NATO crisis-response operations.
NATO officials have publicly acknowledged that Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own defense. A NATO spokeswoman told Spiegel there had been an “over-reliance” on the United States in alliance force planning.
The timing, however, has rattled many European leaders as Russia continues pressuring NATO’s eastern flank and the war in Ukraine remains unresolved.
The Pentagon has not publicly released full details of the proposed restructuring, though additional information is reportedly expected during a NATO force-generation conference next month.
For now, the reports are reinforcing a growing reality inside NATO: Europe is increasingly being told to prepare for a future where the United States may no longer serve as the alliance’s unquestioned military backbone.
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That sounds good to me, European NATO nations wouldn’t even allow the US military access to their own NATO bases during our conflict with Iran as we saved NATO member nations from the Iranian nuclear and missiles capability to strike NATO nations! So fine and dandy let them protect themselves!