Pay more, gain more: US unveils new vision for NATO allies

The United States has proposed granting political and economic incentives to NATO allies that spend more on defence, raising the prospect of a two-tier alliance ahead of next week's NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye.

"We believe that those who are doing more should get benefits from doing more — more time with leaders, priority in acquisition and procurement" of weapons, US NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker told reporters before the meeting, Bloomberg reports.

The proposal comes as US President Donald Trump continues to press European allies to shoulder a greater share of the alliance's defence burden. While European governments have broadly responded positively to calls for increased military spending, many remain concerned that Washington could scale back its security commitments before Europe has significantly strengthened its own armed forces.

Whitaker identified Poland, Germany, and the Nordic and Baltic countries as leading defence spenders, but said Europe's overall progress on rearmament remained "incomplete."

He added that Washington could consider measures against allies that fail to meet NATO's target of allocating 5% of gross domestic product to defence-related spending by 2035, although he did not specify what those measures might entail.

Whitaker also urged European allies to improve the efficiency of their defence industries and expand production of high-demand military capabilities, including air defense systems, long-range precision strike weapons and unmanned systems.

The remarks come amid growing uncertainty over the future of the US military presence in Europe. In recent months, Washington has announced plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from the continent and reduce the military assets it would commit during a crisis.

Last month, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth launched a six-month review of American forces stationed in Europe, fueling expectations of additional troop reductions.

As part of that review, Whitaker said the United States will also examine its rights to overfly European territory and use military bases across the continent. The issue became a source of friction during the Iran conflict, when several countries denied US forces access to local military facilities.

By Vafa Guliyeva