Hegseth opens 6-month Europe force review, presses NATO on spending

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth launched a six-month review of American forces in Europe as NATO defense ministers met in Brussels, pairing a softer public tone with pressure on allies to raise military spending and take primary responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense. Hegseth said some countries were following through while others still needed to do more. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Europe and Canada were set to spend more than $90 billion more on defense in 2025 than in 2024, nearly a 20% increase. But a NATO official said three European countries, including Slovenia and the Czech Republic, were on track to miss the 2% of GDP threshold in 2026. The Pentagon review comes as Washington shifts more of its focus toward China and trims some assets assigned to NATO.