politics
U.S. Defense Secretary announces six-month review of American military presence in Europe after praising allies’ spending increases
Pete Hegseth announced the review at a NATO meeting in Brussels on June 18, 2026. The review aims to shift primary defense responsibility to European allies.
Jun 19, 6:21 PM·1m read1 source
Le MondeAudio version
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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month review of American military presence in Europe during a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels on June 18, 2026. The review is intended to push NATO toward Europe taking primary responsibility for its own defense.
Hegseth arrived at NATO headquarters on June 18 and first praised several allies for increasing military spending. Inside the meeting room, he shifted to a tougher tone and cited specific refusals by allies during the war against Iran.
U.S. Aircraft during that conflict. The announcement surprised most of the 32 defense ministers present. The ministers had gathered in Brussels ahead of NATO's annual summit scheduled for early July in Ankara.
American troops had participated in NATO-led joint exercises in Finland's Kainuu region on May 27, 2026, disembarking from a Chinook helicopter. Le Monde reported that the review marks a departure from Washington's prior practice of transparency toward allies after months of fluctuating relations.
