Estonian defence chief: Europe must prepare for reduced US military presence

Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur, speaking from Washington, emphasised that the United States is currently reviewing its military presence in Europe in coordination with NATO.

“The reality is that European countries need to step up. At the meeting in The Hague, NATO committed to a defence spending target of 5% of GDP. As for the US force posture globally, it is under review. And Defence Secretary Hegseth assured us that any forthcoming decisions will not come as a surprise. The repositioning of US troops will be coordinated with NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe and NATO Headquarters. We may learn more specific figures by the fall, but progress is not swift. Still, it's clear that US strategic focus is increasingly shifting toward the Indo-Pacific,” Pevkur told Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR).

Pevkur is in Washington together with the defence ministers of Latvia and Lithuania. On July 25, the three Baltic officials held a meeting at the Pentagon with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth — the first official meeting between the Baltic ministers and the new US defence chief since the Trump administration took office six months ago. The talks focused on enhancing cooperation to strengthen transatlantic ties.

In his remarks following the meeting, Hegseth highlighted the critical importance of Europe taking greater responsibility for its own defence. “The United States has numerous global commitments — from protecting the homeland to deterring conflict in the Indo-Pacific. That makes Europe’s leadership in defending its continent more vital than ever. Your dedication to building new military capabilities is essential to deterring aggression and enhancing readiness,” he said. “From this podium, in this building, I want to commend your leadership in committing to the 5% defence spending target — not sometime in the distant future, but by 2026.”

Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to NATO, stating: “The United States remains fully committed to NATO. Together, we will secure peace in Europe through strength, establish the conditions for a negotiated peace in Ukraine, maintain credible deterrence, and enhance the capabilities and interoperability of our allies.”

He also expressed appreciation to the Baltic defence ministers for organising international military exercises, which he said contribute significantly to collective readiness. “I’m also pleased that the HIMARS systems we’ve deployed have supported the training of your troops as you prepare to receive your own equipment,” Hegseth noted. “This cooperation speeds up our ability to defend allied nations with powerful capabilities,” he added.

While Pevkur acknowledged that the US military footprint in Europe will inevitably shrink, he stressed that no definitive details on the scale of this reduction were yet available, as Hegseth had not provided precise figures.

By Tamilla Hasanova