US could give fewer planes and ships to NATO in case of crisis, says magazine
The United States intends to significantly reduce military contributions available to help European allies in a crisis, German magazine Spiegel reported on Tuesday (26).
This includes fighters, warships and in-flight refueling aircraft.
According to reporting by Spiegel, an envoy from US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth briefed officials from NATO, the Western military alliance, about the plan at the organization's headquarters in Brussels late last week.
Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Trump administration was planning to tell allies last week that it would reduce the pool of military capabilities available to the alliance during a crisis.
The US intends to supply only half the previous number of strategic bombers, according to reports.
Specifically, the number of US fighters is expected to fall by a third, according to Spiegel, citing a speech by US envoy Alexander Velez-Green during the closed-door meeting.
The US Navy is also expected to make fewer destroyers available to NATO, and the US no longer intends to supply submarines to the alliance.
Europe would be forced to supply its own reconnaissance drones, while the US plans to significantly reduce the supply of armed models.
The White House will provide more details at a conference on force generation in early June, according to the Spiegel report.
The German Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
NATO is "excessive dependence" on the US
A NATO spokeswoman told SPIEGEL that there was an "excessive dependence" on the US in the alliance's force planning and that, with Europe and Canada investing more in defense, military responsibilities within the group could be reorganized.
NATO is under unprecedented pressure, with some European countries worried that Washington could withdraw from the group completely.
US President Donald Trump criticized European allies for not spending enough on their armed forces and promised to withdraw thousands of troops from Germany.
His ambition to take control of Greenland, a Danish overseas territory, further inflamed tensions.
Trump also criticized European allies for their lack of support in reopening the Strait of Hormuz for navigation amid the war against Iran, saying he was considering withdrawing from NATO and questioning whether Washington was obliged to honor its mutual defense pact under the alliance.
Understand what NATO is and which countries are part of the alliance
Source: CNN