Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a Pentagon-led review of American forces in Europe after lashing out NATO allies.
According to CNBC, Hegseth on Thursday, June 18, criticized some NATO allies over defense spending and reluctance to participate in the Iran war.
Hegseth told NATO defense ministers in Brussels, “This will be a real review. It will be designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe.”
“These allies, they put America’s sons and daughters, our sons and daughters, at risk by denying them the predictable access, basing and overflight that never should have been in question at all,” he added.
Hegseth criticized European allies for failing to provide US forces access to bases in Europe to launch attacks on Iran, calling it “shameful.”
He emphasized that America’s allies in Europe must take the lead on the defense of their own continent and help turn NATO into “a read hard-line military alliance.”
At the meeting of NATO defense ministers, Hegseth called for a reboot of the 32-nation organization to turn it into a “NATO 3.0” capable of deterring any threat.
His remarks came a few weeks after the United States told its allies that it would no longer supply certain warships and aircraft if one of them comes under attack.
