What is Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s vision for a revamped NATO 3.0? US wants Europe to take the lead | Today’s news
NATO 3.0 is a “post-Cold War recognition” that must return to a “real hard military alliance,” US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Thursday at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.
An alliance “that has real military capabilities capable of deterring right here on the continent and taking the lead in the conventional defense of Europe,” Hegseth said as he stood next to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
In a speech at NATO headquarters, he said the US would be clear with its allies about the need for a tougher military stance and greater ability to deter threats on the continent.
Hegseth said the Trump administration now wants a reboot of NATO to turn it into “NATO 3.0” capable of deterring any threat.
Europe must take the lead
Hegseth called for a “reboot” of the 32-nation organization and proposed a “NATO 3.0” focused on deterrence and stronger conventional defense in Europe.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reiterated that Europe must take the lead in building a redesigned “NATO 3.0” and create a “real, tough military alliance”.
He even lashed out at NATO allies for not taking more responsibility for their own security.
“Europe should never have been dependent on the United States… Europe should have been a military power associated with a strong America,” he said.
He also criticized European allies for not giving US forces access to bases in Europe to launch attacks on Iran, calling it “shameful”.
“These allies have put America’s sons and daughters, our sons and daughters, at risk by denying them predictable access, basing and overflight that should never have been in doubt,” he said.
Earlier, after a bilateral meeting with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto at the Pentagon, Hegseth said: “A stronger Europe is essential for NATO to take care of the world.”
Pentagon’s 6-month review of US forces in Europe
Hegseth further announced a six-month review of US forces in Europe by the Pentagon to ensure that NATO is moving towards Europe and conducting its own defence. The outcome will depend on how quickly Europeans take responsibility for their own security.
“It will be a real overhaul. It will be designed to ensure that NATO moves quickly and irreversibly towards a leadership position in Europe to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe,” he told his NATO counterparts in Brussels.
US to ‘adjust size’ of NATO force contributions
In early June, the United States informed NATO allies that it would reduce and restructure its contributions to the NATO Force Model as part of a broader effort to shift more responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense to European nations and Canada.
According to a press release from the US European Command (EUCOM), US War Department officials have informed allies that the United States will “fine-tune” its contributions to the NATO force model in line with the “burden-sharing” goals outlined in the National Defense Strategy 2026 and the department’s vision for “NATO 3.0”.
On the defense front, European allies and Canada have launched unprecedented efforts to increase defense spending and expand their armed forces.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte noted Thursday that they spent $90 billion more on defense last year, a 20 percent increase from 2024. And while Europe took in large numbers of migrants and asylum seekers more than a decade ago, most countries have tightened their borders since then, the AP reported.
