Hegseth renews Nato criticism and says US will review presence in Europe

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Hegseth says some Nato allies will fail as he announces US review of Europe forces2 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleDan SalesandJessica Parker ,Berlin correspondentEPAPete Hegseth warned that while some countries would fail, "others will pass with flying colours"US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has severely criticised some of America's Nato allies, while announcing a six-month review of the presence of US forces in Europe. "It's a review that some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colours", he said at a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels, singling out allies that he suggested had been "free-riding". Hegseth was also highly critical of Nato member states that had imposed limits on help to US forces during the war with Iran.

His announcement follows a US decision to scale back its commitments to a high readiness force within the alliance known as the Nato Force Model (NFM). New UK defence secretary meets Nato allies without investment plan in placeThe aim of the review, which Hegseth termed Nato 3. 0, was to "ensure that Nato is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading" on security on the continent.

The Details

The US wants Nato members to contribute more to defence spending in Europe and says some countries have not shown how they will reach an agreed target of 5% of national economic output (GDP) which includes 3. 5% on core defence and 1. 5% on related infrastructure.

Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte said defence spending had already gone up €90bn (£78bn; $103bn) last year - a rise of almost 20% - and Europeans were "already backfilling" resources that the US was cutting back on. Details of how the US will reduce its commitments have not been made public but it has been indicated they include air and naval capabilities. Hegseth said Nato's annual dues would be "contingent on other countries meeting their defence spending targets; where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues contributions will go down".

"Some of Nato's largest economies, some of our richest countries, allies that are happiest to go on about the rules-based international order and middle powers banding together, still seem to think the era of free-riding is here," he added. He did not single out which countries he meant. UK Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis attended the summit without a UK defence investment plan, after his predecessor John Healey resigned, warning that the plan fell "well short" of what was needed to protect the UK.

A senior Nato official conceded that "not everything" that the US was withdrawing "can be absolutely replaced" but Rutte said some work had already been done and further efforts were under way. He also revealed that the changes were taking effect immediately. The Nato Force Model is a set of forces that the alliance's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (Saceur) knows he "can count on" at short notice, the Nato official explained.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.