Donald Trump has heavily criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since his first term in office, blasting European countries for failing to live up to their funding promises and leaving all the heavy lifting to the United States. Although some member countries upped their game following his push, supposed allies like Spain, Great Britain, and France have shown themselves to be fair-weather friends when it comes to actual crises and did not have our back when Operation Epic Fury commenced or when Iran attempted to shut down the Strait of Hormuz.
With every action comes a reaction, and a new report indicates that the U.S. plans to sharply cut its military contributions to the alliance:
The U.S. intends to significantly reduce military contributions available to assist European allies in a crisis, including fighter jets, warships and mid-air refueling aircraft, German news outlet Spiegel reported on Tuesday.
The NATO alliance is under unprecedented strain, with some European countries concerned that Washington may withdraw outright.
President Donald Trump has slammed European allies for not spending enough on their militaries and pledged to withdraw thousands of troops from Germany. His ambition to take control of Greenland, a Danish overseas territory, has further inflamed transatlantic tensions.
🇺🇸🇪🇺 NEW: U.S. reduces NATO military support
— Defence Index (@Defence_Index) May 26, 2026
The United States is scaling back key military assets assigned to NATO, including fewer fighter jets, reduced strategic bombers, and no submarine contributions, according to Der Spiegel and Reuters.
The move, discussed in a closed… pic.twitter.com/6ROQfQwSkw
🇺🇸🇪🇺 NEW: U.S. reduces NATO military support
The United States is scaling back key military assets assigned to NATO, including fewer fighter jets, reduced strategic bombers, and no submarine contributions, according to Der Spiegel and Reuters.
The move, discussed in a closed NATO briefing, has reportedly surprised European allies and highlights Europe’s heavy reliance on U.S. defense support amid ongoing tensions with Russia.
Source: Der Spiegel
MORE: Just in Time: Pres. Trump's Forced Reformation of the Historic NATO Alliance
Trump Orders Pentagon to Reduce US Forces Based in Germany
The Euros are going to have to practice a concept known as self-reliance, according to the report:
Washington will also pull its submarines from NATO altogether, envoy Alexander Velez-Green reportedly told officials behind closed doors.
Europe will be responsible for maintaining its own supply of reconnaissance drones, a key weapon on the modern battlefield of Ukraine.
Hegseth's envoy stressed that the US is prepared to cooperate closely only with NATO partners who act quickly to close the gaps left by Washington's scaling back of support.
Some officials in the secret meeting interpreted the message as an indirect threat, according to Der Spiegel.
Trump had already ordered the Pentagon to pull 5,000 troops out of Germany after he was unhappy with remarks made by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said in late April that the “Americans clearly have no strategy" regarding Iran and were being “humiliated” by Iranian negotiators.
The Euros were reportedly “blindsided” by the news of the drawdown.
Next up: a “Force Sourcing Conference” in June, where member countries will meet to discuss how to respond and how to cover the gaps in military coverage left by the U.S. pullback.
It looks like NATO’s old ways of doing business are now in the past.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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