U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth intensified pressure on European NATO members, signaling a potential reassessment of America's military presence and financial contributions in Europe if allies do not increase their defence spending commitments.

Speaking at NATO headquarters on Thursday, Hegseth announced that the Pentagon would undertake a review lasting up to six months to evaluate the United States’ force posture and basing arrangements across the continent. This move underscores growing demands from Washington for European nations to shoulder a greater share of non-nuclear defence responsibilities within the 32-member alliance, while the U.S. continues to provide a nuclear umbrella.

Since the re-election of President Donald Trump, the U.S. has sought to reduce its direct involvement in Europe’s military affairs. Recent Pentagon decisions to cut troop numbers and scale back participation in alliance battle plans have met resistance from some U.S. lawmakers, particularly Republicans who criticized the administration for making these changes without adequate congressional consultation and pledged to oppose further reductions.

Hegseth made clear that allied defence spending would be a key topic at next month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. He warned that failure by some European partners to increase their military budgets “with urgency” would lead to reduced U.S. contributions to NATO’s operating costs, emphasizing that the alliance must operate on a reciprocal basis.

During a closed-door meeting following his remarks, alliance members outlined efforts to meet their spending targets. However, some expressed concerns that public threats to cut American forces or funding could weaken NATO’s collective deterrence and benefit Russian interests, according to a source familiar with the discussion.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte supported Hegseth’s call for Europeans to assume greater responsibility, noting that the defense secretary’s firm stance helps maintain momentum in encouraging increased spending among member states. “He is keeping the pressure on,” Rutte said. “I’m happy he does this.”

The ongoing dialogue reflects broader tensions within NATO as it strives to balance burden-sharing while maintaining a unified front amid evolving security challenges in Europe.