Pete Hegseth has accused the bloc’s European members of putting the lives of American servicemembers at risk.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced a six-month review of America’s military footprint in Europe, warning that future deployments, funding and basing arrangements will depend on whether NATO members meet Washington’s demands.
Speaking at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Hegseth accused European members of refusing to provide predictable access to their bases and airspace during the US war with Iran.
“It was shameful,” he said. “These allies… put America’s sons and daughters, our sons and daughters, at risk… There’s no excuse for that.”
The remarks came as Washington is already scaling back forces and assets earmarked for NATO operations in Europe, forcing the bloc’s planners to revise assumptions about US support in a crisis.
The cuts reportedly include one-third of pledged US fighter jets and long-range bombers, along with aerial refueling tankers, maritime surveillance aircraft and key naval assets once factored into NATO contingency plans.
Not quite Pete. Israel and America put America’s “sons and daughters at risk” in a war of choice. The European/NATO countries chose not to participate in your war of choice – which was also a war of aggression i.e. a war crime.