U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a sharp warning to NATO allies on Thursday, announcing a comprehensive review of American troop deployments in Europe and urging European nations to assume greater responsibility for their own security.

Speaking at a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels, Hegseth said the Pentagon will conduct a six-month assessment of U.S. force posture across Europe, with a central focus on whether European countries are prepared to shoulder a larger share of the continent’s defense burden.

“This will be a real review,” Hegseth said, adding that it is intended to ensure NATO moves “quickly and irreversibly” toward a model in which Europe takes primary responsibility for defending itself.

The defense secretary went further, describing NATO in its current form as a “paper tiger” and calling for a complete transformation of the alliance into what he termed “NATO 3.0” — a stronger and more capable military bloc able to deter threats and lead Europe’s conventional defense without excessive reliance on the United States.

Hegseth argued that since the end of the Cold War, many European nations have reduced their defense commitments while depending heavily on American military power, a period he labeled “NATO 2.0.”

According to Hegseth, that era must come to an end, with Europe expected to significantly increase its defense investments and military readiness as Washington reevaluates its long-term role on the continent.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)