Reuters: U.S. wants Europe to take over most of NATO's defense capabilities by 2027

The United States wants Europe to take over most of NATO's conventional defense capabilities, from intelligence to missiles, by 2027. This was reported by the agency Reuters, citing five unnamed interlocutors with knowledge of the matter.

This week, Pentagon officials informed diplomats in Washington of this demand. This short time frame seemed unrealistic to some European officials.

Shifting this burden from the United States to its European allies will fundamentally change the way the United States, one of the founders of the Alliance, cooperates with its most important military partners.

At a meeting with European delegations, Pentagon officials noted that Washington is not yet satisfied with the steps Europe has taken to strengthen its defense capabilities after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

U.S. officials have told their counterparts that if Europe fails to meet the 2027 deadline, the United States may stop participating in some NATO defense coordination mechanisms, the interlocutors said.

Some officials on Capitol Hill are aware of and concerned about the Pentagon's message to Europe, one U.S. official said.

Conventional defense capabilities include non-nuclear means, from troops to weapons, and officials have not explained how the U.S. will assess Europe's progress in taking on more of the burden.

It was also unclear whether the 2027 deadline reflected the position of the US administration Donald Trump or just the views of some Pentagon officials. There are significant differences in Washington over the military role the United States should play in Europe.

Several European officials have said that the 2027 deadline is not realistic, regardless of how Washington assesses progress, because Europe needs more than money and political will to replace certain U.S. capabilities in the short term.

When asked for comment, a NATO spokesperson said that European allies have begun to take more responsibility for the continent's security, but did not comment on the 2027 deadline.

"The allies have recognized the need to invest more in defense and to shift the burden of conventional defense" from the United States to Europe, the official said.

The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

• In August, Budanov said that Russia plans to spend by 2036, $1.1 trillion for rearmament to prepare for war with NATO.
• In October, the head of Germany's intelligence service said that Russia was allegedly ready to engage in a direct military conflict with NATO and that this may happen by 2029.