As reported by Der Spiegel, European allies were briefed in Brussels on a planned reduction in US forces assigned to NATO’s rapid-response capabilities. A military envoy sent by Pete Hegseth surprised senior NATO officials in a classified briefing in Brussels late last week after revealing US firepower committed to defending Europe would significantly decline. The purpose is to force Europe to build up domestic defenses.
President Trump will slash U.S. fighter jets, warships, and submarines. They are currently supplied for the use of NATO allies should a military crisis erupt in Europe. The U.S. has briefed European allies that it will reduce its deep-strike capabilities in Europe by 50%. There will be major reductions in forces.
US envoy Alexander Velez-Green reportedly said fighter jets will be slashed by a third. All destroyers will be withdrawn. All submarines, every one of them, will be pulled.
Europe will be left to provide and maintain its own supply of reconnaissance drones, a weapon that has proven itself decisive on the Ukraine battlefields.
The US plans to strip back its provision of armed models, the report said. Refueling aircraft, key to long-range operations, were also said to be at risk.
This is not abandonment. The U.S. is going to pre-2022 levels.
This is some of what the U.S. provides our “allies” at great expense. For their part, they wouldn’t let us use our joint bases or fly over their airspace during the Iran conflict.
It is a much-needed wake-up call, especially if they fear Russia.
Europe Is Alarmed
European intelligence agencies have warned that Russia could launch a major attack within a matter of years. NATO chief Mark Rutte said in December that allies “must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured.”
Velez‑Green made clear that the U.S. is prepared to cooperate closely only with allies who act quickly to fill the gaps left by this drawdown. This includes bolstering their own defense capabilities, such as maintaining reconnaissance drones — a key asset in Ukraine — to compensate for the loss of U.S. assets.
Washington still intends to maintain nuclear deterrence in Europe, but wants Europeans to handle most conventional defense responsibilities.
European officials were surprised by the scale and urgency of the shift, with Washington urging allies to rapidly strengthen their own defense capabilities.
Europe Can’t Defend Itself
Washington wants to reduce its footprint in Europe while pushing allies to take a proactive role in its own defense. It’s tough love. Nothing else has worked.
They were offended that they weren’t involved in initiating the Iran conflict. That is understandable. However, it is no longer a “shared” alliance. They’re weak, they cave, and are moving to totalitarianism themselves.
Finland President Alexander Stubb:
Americans don’t ask anymore.
You go into Venezuela, you don’t ask.
You make claims on Greenland, you don’t ask.
You go into Iran, you don’t ask. pic.twitter.com/0W6e35xZLt
— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 27, 2026
The Turkey Affair
Iran targeted Turkey, and it was not Turkey’s fault. Turkey is a dues-paying NATO member state that suffered multiple ballistic missile attacks. Turkey turned to Poland for help. They asked Poland to provide a single Patriot air defense battery on a temporary basis to protect Turkish civilians and territory from a foreign nation’s missiles. Poland refused.
Even after the U.S. intervened diplomatically, Poland refused.
The U.S. supplies troops, tanks, and jets to Poland. It was the beginning of a realization that the alliance was one-sided.
They really don’t get it.