Reuters: US wants Europe to take over most of NATO's conventional defense capabilities by 2027

The United States wants Europe to take over most of NATO's conventional defense capabilities - from intelligence to missile systems - by 2027, Pentagon officials told diplomats in Washington this week, with a tight deadline that has led some European officials to call it unrealistic, Reuters reported today.

The message, according to five sources familiar with the conversation, including a US official, was delivered at a meeting in Washington attended by Pentagon officials in charge of NATO policy and several European delegations, Reuters reports.

The agency writes that shifting this burden from the United States to the European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would dramatically change the way the United States, the founder of the post-war alliance, cooperates with its most important military partners.

At the meeting, Pentagon officials stressed that Washington is not yet satisfied with the progress Europe has made in strengthening its defense capabilities since the expanded Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

US officials have told their interlocutors that if Europe fails to meet the 2027 deadline, the US may no longer participate in some NATO defense coordination mechanisms, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions.

A US official said that some officials on Capitol Hill are aware of the Pentagon's message to the Europeans and are concerned about it.

It is unclear how NATO's progress will now be measured.

Conventional defense capabilities encompass non-nuclear resources – from troops to weapons – and officials have not explained how the US would measure European progress in taking on more of that burden.

It was also unclear whether the 2027 deadline represents the position of US President Donald Trump's administration or just the opinion of individual Pentagon officials. There is significant disagreement in Washington over what military role the US should play in Europe.

Several European officials said that the 2027 deadline is unrealistic, regardless of how Washington measures progress, because Europe, in addition to money and political will, also needs time to replace certain American capabilities in the short term.

Among other things, NATO allies are facing delays in the production of military equipment they are trying to acquire. Although US officials are encouraging Europe to buy more American equipment, many of the most sought-after American weapons and defense systems would take years to deliver if ordered today.

The US also contributes capabilities that simply cannot be bought, such as unique intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities that have proven crucial to the Ukrainian war effort.

Asked for comment, a NATO official speaking on behalf of the Alliance said that European allies have already begun to take greater responsibility for the continent's security, but did not comment on the 2027 deadline.

"Allies have recognized the need to invest more in defense and to shift the burden of conventional defense from the United States to Europe," the official said.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Reuters.

Pentagon spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson said: "We have been very clear that Europeans must take the lead in Europe's conventional defense. We are committed to working through NATO coordination mechanisms to strengthen the Alliance and ensure its long-term sustainability, as European allies increasingly assume responsibility for conventional deterrence and defense in Europe."

European countries have largely accepted Trump's demand to take more responsibility for their own security and have committed to significant increases in defense spending.

The European Union has set a goal of making the continent capable of defending itself by 2030, saying it must fill gaps in air defense, drones, cyber capabilities, ammunition and other areas. Officials and analysts say even that deadline is ambitious.

Washington-NATO relationship turbulent and volatile

The Trump administration has consistently argued that European allies must contribute more to NATO, but it is not always clear what the president's position on NATO is.

During the 2024 campaign, Trump frequently criticized European allies and said he would encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack NATO countries that do not spend enough on defense.

However, at the annual NATO leaders' summit in June, Trump enthusiastically praised European leaders for agreeing to a US plan to increase member states' annual defense spending to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

In recent months, Trump has vacillated between a tougher stance on Russia — the alliance's main adversary — and, more recently, a willingness to negotiate with Moscow over the Ukraine conflict. European officials have complained that they have been largely sidelined in those talks.

At a meeting of NATO foreign ministers this week, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said it was "obvious" that NATO allies should take responsibility for Europe's defense.

"Successive American administrations have been saying this in one way or another for almost my entire life… but our administration really means what it says," Landau wrote on the X platform.