THE APEX TIMES
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announces review of American forces in Europe in Brussels, urges NATO “reboot”
Speaking in Brussels on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States will conduct a review of its forces in Europe and called for a new approach he described as “NATO 3.0,” while criticizing allies for their role in shared defense.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in Brussels on Thursday that the United States will conduct a review of American forces stationed in Europe. Speaking to an international audience at the location of NATO’s institutions, Hegseth framed the effort as a reassessment of how the alliance organizes and pays for its defense responsibilities.
During the remarks, Hegseth also called for what he described as a “NATO 3.0,” saying the alliance needs to change its structure and direction rather than continue on its current trajectory. The announcement comes as NATO continues to coordinate deterrence and defense posture across Europe amid ongoing security pressures in the broader region.
Hegseth said the review would examine U.S. posture and related alliance arrangements, and he used the speech to criticize NATO allies for what he characterized as insufficient alignment with the United States on shared priorities. According to the report, he “lashed out” at allies, placing the focus on expectations for participation and effectiveness in meeting collective defense goals.
The remarks were delivered in Brussels, emphasizing the timing and symbolism of announcing U.S. steps at the center of Euro-Atlantic security decision-making. The review announcement indicates that the Pentagon is preparing internal work that could affect how U.S. forces are structured, deployed, and coordinated with European partners, even if no specific changes were detailed in the account.
Hegseth’s call for a “NATO 3.0” also underscored a push to revisit alliance governance and defense planning assumptions. The report characterizes the proposal as a reboot of NATO, rather than incremental adjustment, setting up a potential debate among alliance members about what a revised model would require and how responsibilities would be allocated.
The defense secretary’s comments add to ongoing public discussion within NATO about burden-sharing, readiness, and decision-making speed. Any review of U.S. forces in Europe would likely require coordination with alliance leadership and member governments, given the roles of host nations, command structures, and the operational integration of forces.
No details in the report specified a timeline for completing the review or any immediate operational changes. The next steps, based on the announcement, would be the Pentagon’s follow-on work and subsequent consultation with NATO partners through formal alliance channels.
Why It Matters
- A U.S. review of forces in Europe can affect how deterrence and defense commitments are organized and coordinated with NATO partners.
- Hegseth’s push for a “NATO 3.0” indicates that the debate within the alliance may move beyond routine adjustments toward broader restructuring of priorities and planning.
- Because the remarks were delivered at NATO’s institutional center in Brussels, the announcement is likely to carry immediate diplomatic weight with member governments.
- If the review leads to force posture changes, it could have budgetary and readiness implications for U.S. and European defense planning, including host-nation arrangements.
Sources
Key Facts
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in Brussels on Thursday that the United States will conduct a review of American forces in Europe.
- Hegseth delivered the remarks while calling for a “NATO 3.0,” describing it as a reboot of the alliance.
- The report says he criticized NATO allies during the speech, characterizing them as not meeting expectations on shared defense responsibilities.
- The announcement took place in Brussels, where NATO institutions are based, tying the U.S. review to alliance-level deliberations.
- The report does not specify a timeline or outline concrete force changes tied to the review at the time of the remarks.