Key facts
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a Pentagon review of NATO allies' performance.
- Hegseth criticized allies for their defense spending, military equipment production, and focus on issues like gender equity and climate change.
- European leaders are already implementing measures to increase defense spending and readiness, a process that began after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
- NATO allies have committed to significantly increasing defense readiness by 2030.
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated that European allies and Canada are increasing defense spending by over $90 billion in 2025.
- The review's terms are unclear, but Hegseth indicated it would assess whether allies are taking primary responsibility for Europe's defense.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a Pentagon review of NATO allies' performance, criticizing their defense spending and readiness. However, leaders of many European nations are already assessing progress on security priorities, including increased defense budgets and military equipment production, a process that has been underway since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Hegseth's criticisms come as European allies and Canada are reportedly increasing their defense spending significantly, with over $90 billion extra expected in 2025 compared to 2024, an almost 20% increase. These nations are also investing in industry to boost military equipment production, developing lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, and focusing on acquiring drones, air defense systems, and long-range weapons. At a recent summit, European leaders reaffirmed their commitment to decisively ramp up defense readiness by 2030, mulled the best use of joint EU funding, and sought to cut red tape to speed up purchases. They also weighed the state of "military mobility" to expedite troop and equipment deployment. Intelligence agencies have warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could order an attack elsewhere in Europe before the end of the decade. This, coupled with the unpredictability of the Trump administration, has further motivated European nations to forge ahead with their defense initiatives independently. Hegseth's review, which is designed to ensure NATO moves towards Europe taking primary responsibility for its own defense, could impact the presence of U.S. forces in Europe and American investment in the alliance. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte acknowledged the substantial increase in defense spending by European allies and Canada, stating that they are doing well but could always do more. He noted that top European military officers now hold more command roles at NATO, and U.S. allies have taken charge of funneling arms and money into Ukraine as the Trump administration has stepped back.