Hegseth Lashes Out at NATO Allies      06/18 06:08

   

   BRUSSELS (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at NATO 
allies on Thursday, announcing a six-month Pentagon review of American forces 
in Europe whose outcome will depend on how fast the Europeans take 
responsibility for their own security.

   "This will be a real review. It 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," he told his NATO counterparts in 
Brussels.

   Hegseth lambasted European allies for failing to provide U.S. forces access 
to bases in Europe to launch attacks on Iran, calling it "shameful."

   "These allies, they put America's sons and daughters, our sons and 
daughters, at risk by denying them the predictable access, basing and 
overflight that never should have been in question at all," he said.

   Taking the microphone at the top of the meeting, Hegseth also railed against 
migration and gender equality policies in Europe, in remarks reminiscent to 
those of Vice President JD Vance in February last year that angered many 
Europeans.

   "Instead of tanks and fighters and air defenses, the focus has been on 
gender equity and climate change and defense austerity. Europe's borders flew 
wide open, welfare states expanded, defense budgets cratered. Along with 
Europe's belief in itself and its civilization," Hegseth said.

   Hegseth's comments largely mischaracterized European policies today. On 
defense, European allies and Canada have launched an unprecedented effort to 
boost defense spending and expand their armed forces. NATO Secretary-General 
Mark Rutte noted on Thursday that they spent $90 billion more on defense last 
year, a 20% increase over 2024. And while Europe accepted large numbers of 
migrants and asylum seekers more than a decade ago, most countries have 
tightened their borders since.

   The Trump administration now wants a reboot of the 32-nation organization to 
turn it into a "NATO 3.0" capable of deterring any threat, Hegseth said.

   Hegseth's remarks came a few weeks after the United States told its allies 
that it would no longer supply certain warships and aircraft if one of them 
comes under attack. European allies and Canada are trying to work out how to 
plug the gaps.

   NATO's supreme allied commander, an American, is working on backup plans to 
defend Europe after the U.S. signaled on June 3 that it would no longer supply 
an aircraft carrier and support ships, aerial refueling planes and dozens of 
fighter jets, among other military assets, in a crisis.

   The Trump administration insists that it needs to be able to plan for two 
simultaneous conflicts and wants more military resources at hand should a 
conflict break out with China in the Indo-Pacific region.

   Under NATO's collective security guarantee -- Article 5 of its founding 
treaty -- the 32 allies pledge that an attack on one of them will be considered 
an attack on all. It does not oblige them to provide military support, although 
many likely would.

   In essence, the United States is scaling back how it might help should an 
ally trigger Article 5. The U.S. has by far NATO's biggest armed forces. It 
does not intend to withdraw its nuclear weapons in Europe, which are key to 
NATO's deterrence.

   To underscore that point, NATO's Nuclear Planning Group issued its first 
statement in 19 years after it had assembled at Thursday's meeting.

   In the statement, it "recalled that the strategic nuclear forces of the 
Alliance remain the supreme guarantee of Allied security and underpin NATO's 
extended deterrence architecture."

   The ministers "agreed to continue enhancing NATO's nuclear deterrence 
mission by modernizing NATO's nuclear capabilities, strengthening its nuclear 
planning capacity, and adapting to achieve its security interests."