NATO Gets Another Wake-Up Call From Trump Admin

Contributions of aircraft, submarines, drones and ships from the U.S. military to NATO may be significantly cut back, Politico reported.

Pentagon adviser Alexander Velez-Green announced the change in posture during a closed-door meeting of NATO policy directors on Friday, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation, without specifying which items were officially off the table. The Department of War (DOW) and President Donald Trump aim to draw down the number of U.S. troops, funding and equipment in Europe, as the U.S. currently pays for the majority of NATO funding.

“The Department of War announced changes to U.S. contributions to the NATO Force Model at the Defense Policy Directors’ meeting in Brussels,” Parnell told the DCNF. “These changes represent an opportunity for allies to demonstrate that they have heard President Trump’s call for them to step up and take primary responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense.”

NATO did not reply to a request for comment.

‘Well Understood’

The DOW announced in May that it would cut the total number of brigade combat teams assigned to Europe from four to three. Each brigade combat team contains over 4,000 soldiers, artillery and numerous heavy weapons, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The move drew scrutiny from Polish officials and some U.S. lawmakers, and Trump soon after promised to deploy more troops to Poland.

“Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

It is “well understood” in NATO that the U.S. is going to change its position in Europe very soon, Politico reported, citing statements from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reporters in the Swedish city of Helsingborg. Rubio stated that he was not sure NATO would be excited about the change, the outlet reported.

“Spending more on defense is one thing—and our allies must do so as quickly as possible, consistent with their Hague Summit pledge,” Parnell told the DCNF. “It is vitally important, however, for our NATO allies to focus increased defense spending on the combat-credible capabilities most required for Europe’s defense. The Department of War’s announcement offers allies an opportunity to do exactly that.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that NATO’s overreliance on one ally, the United States, is “simply not healthy” for the alliance during a meeting with Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

The United States remained NATO’s dominant defense spender at an estimated $980 billion in 2025, compared with $92.8 billion for the United Kingdom and $68.9 billion for France, while the smallest spenders included Montenegro at $188 million, North Macedonia at $402 million and Albania at $570 million, according to estimates from the Atlantic Council.

“The important thing with these U.S. withdrawals is not that Europe matches what is lost but Europe figures out what it really needs to defend itself and procure those capabilities,” The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at the Defense Priorities think tank. “Across the board Europe can do this within five years.”

The U.S. plans to remove one-third to one-half of its military capabilities from Europe, the WSJ reported, citing current and former officials who have been briefed on the meeting.

This announcement comes ahead of Trump’s anticipated appearance at a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, in July, according to the WSJ.