BRUSSELS — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stood before NATO defense ministers Thursday and delivered a clear message: European nations need to take responsibility for defending their own continent and help reshape the alliance into what he called a “real hard-line military alliance.”
Speaking at the ministerial gathering, Hegseth pushed for a fundamental transformation of the 32-member organization, framing it as a “NATO 3.0” upgrade designed to give the alliance stronger deterrence capabilities against any potential threat.
His remarks arrived just weeks after Washington informed its allies that the United States would no longer commit certain warships, aircraft, and other military assets to a crisis situation involving an attacked ally. European nations and Canada are now working to determine how to fill those gaps.
“NATO 3.0 is post-Cold War recognition that (NATO) needs to go back to a real hard-line military alliance that has real military capabilities capable of deterring right here on the continent and taking the lead for the conventional defense of Europe,” Hegseth said.
He also told reporters that the United States plans to invest $1.5 trillion in its own defense by 2027, describing it as a signal to the rest of the world that America is building what he called an “arsenal of freedom.”
Hegseth said that arsenal “first and foremost protects America and American interests but also backstops the strength of NATO and our allies.”
He made clear that he intends to tell U.S. allies they “have to be willing to stand up and do something in a strong way about” securing their own continent.
NATO’s supreme allied commander, who is American, has been developing contingency plans following the U.S. announcement on June 3 that it would pull back commitments including an aircraft carrier, support ships, aerial refueling planes, and dozens of fighter jets in the event of a crisis.
The Trump administration has stated it must be prepared to handle two simultaneous conflicts and wants to keep more military resources available in case a confrontation with China erupts in the Indo-Pacific region.
Under Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty — the alliance’s collective defense guarantee — all 32 member nations agree that an attack on one is considered an attack on all. However, the treaty does not legally require military assistance, though many allies would likely provide it.
In practical terms, the United States is reducing the level of military support it would provide if Article 5 were triggered. The U.S. holds by far the largest military force within NATO. Washington has indicated it does not plan to remove its nuclear weapons from Europe, which remain a cornerstone of NATO’s deterrence strategy.
