Overview
- NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte confirmed that reductions in U.S. assets pledged to NATO’s crisis force are already in effect, changing which American ships, aircraft and drones planners can count on in an emergency.
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six‑month Pentagon review of U.S. troop posture and basing in Europe, saying the exercise — labelled 'NATO 3.0' — will press Europe to assume primary defence duties and include consultations with Congress.
- European NATO members and Canada have sharply increased defence spending and ministers offered additional forces to fill gaps, but leaders warned that some capabilities such as deep‑strike weapons, certain naval assets and sustained aerial refuelling will take time to replace.
- U.S. officials framed the changes as needed to prepare for possible simultaneous crises, especially in the Indo‑Pacific, and Hegseth publicly criticised allies that denied basing or overflight during recent U.S. operations against Iran, linking future support to ally behaviour.
- NATO ministers agreed to address gaps and Ukraine support ahead of the Ankara summit in July, and the alliance’s Nuclear Planning Group issued its first formal statement in 19 years reaffirming strategic nuclear forces as the ultimate guarantee of allied security.