Pentagon chief calls NATO “paper tiger” in sharp attack on allies

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a review of American forces stationed in Europe, while sharply criticizing NATO allies over defence spending and burden-sharing within the alliance.

Speaking to NATO defence ministers at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, Hegseth reiterated earlier remarks describing NATO as overly dependent on the United States, Independent reports.

“For too long NATO has been a paper tiger and a one-way street,” he said, referring to what he described as an imbalance in troop commitments and financial contributions. “No more.”

“For all of our clarity, too many allied capitals seem to still miss something in translation. Too many allies still don't recognise the historic need that President Trump has made clear to them and to NATO itself to reforge a relevant, powerful military alliance, as President Trump put it.”

Hegseth also pointed to European responses during recent US military actions involving Iran, suggesting that allied support had been insufficient.

“[Trump] gave our allies a test to support America when we asked for their help, and too many failed it. The United States has defended Europe for generations,” he said.

He further referenced comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who had previously drawn criticism from Donald Trump after suggesting in April that Iran was humiliating the United States in negotiations. Merz said: “The problem with conflicts like this is always you don’t just have to get in – you have to get out again. We saw that very painfully in Afghanistan for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq.”

Hegseth argued that US operations in the Middle East required logistical support from European bases, which he said had not always been forthcoming.

“All he said was that our jets would need to take off from bases in Europe or our ships from ports to strike targets in the Middle East, Iranian targets that threaten European interests even more directly than they threaten us,” he said.

“But too many of our allies said no or tried to drown us in arcane legal debates or criticised us publicly for doing what they aren't prepared or able to do themselves.”

“It was shameful,” he added. “These allies, they put America's sons and daughters, our sons and daughters at risk by denying them the predictable access, facing overflight that never should have been in question at all.”

Hegseth also signaled a shift in US policy on NATO burden-sharing, saying Washington would no longer shoulder disproportionate defence costs.

In response, he said the United States could no longer pay more for NATO’s defence than its allies, adding that future American contributions would depend on whether other members meet agreed defence spending targets.

The Pentagon is expected to conduct a review of US troop deployments across Europe, with Hegseth warning that some NATO allies may fall short of expectations.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, meanwhile, said European members of the alliance were already working to replace US-provided battlefield equipment being withdrawn from certain deployments.

“What we are working on is to make sure that what the US has been providing so far will be filled,” Rutte said in Brussels. “Most of it done — some of it nearly, and some of it requiring more debates and discussions.”

“The US is saying, ‘we have adjusted our contributions to the NATO force model,’ that means other allies have to step up,” he added. “We see that European allies and Canada are ready, willing and able to do more.”

By Vafa Guliyeva