06.12.2025 00:35
A ultimatum has been issued to European allies from the administration of President Donald Trump in the United States. U.S. Department of Defense officials have called on NATO member European countries to take responsibility for NATO's conventional defense capabilities by 2027, warning that if the criteria are not met, Washington may decide to withdraw from certain NATO defense coordination mechanisms.
Discussions about the sharing of responsibilities in defense between the US and NATO member European countries are ongoing.
CALL FOR EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO TAKE ON DEFENSE RESPONSIBILITIES
In a report by the UK-based news agency Reuters, citing US officials, it was stated that officials from the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) met with European delegations at a meeting this week where NATO policies were discussed. It was emphasized that Pentagon officials called on NATO member European countries to take on responsibility for a significant portion of NATO's conventional defense capacity by 2027.
ULTIMATUM FOR WITHDRAWAL FROM NATO IN 2027
Pentagon officials reported at the meeting that the steps taken to increase defense capacity in Europe since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have not yet reached a level that satisfies Washington. Anonymous sources indicated that US officials warned that if European partners do not meet the established criteria by 2027 in various areas from intelligence to ballistic missiles, the US may decide not to participate in some NATO defense coordination mechanisms. No statement has yet been made on the matter by the Pentagon or the White House.
EUROPEAN OFFICIALS FOUND IT "OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY"
A NATO official stated that European allies have begun to take on more responsibility for the security of the continent, but did not make a statement regarding the timeframe granted until 2027. The official said, "Allies have acknowledged the need to invest more in defense and shift the burden of conventional defense from the US to Europe." However, some European officials assessed the timeframe proposed by the US as "out of touch with reality."