Recently, the United States decided to reduce the size of its reinforcements planned for European conflicts. But the US is still reviewing its forces, and a NATO summit next week in Ankara will test whether Europe can keep up.
The US decision to scale back its intended reinforcements is part of a larger change in its defense strategy. The upcoming NATO summit in Ankara next week will see allies trying to smooth over recent US announcements signaling a pivot away from the continent.
For decades, the US has maintained a substantial military presence in Europe as a cornerstone of NATO's deterrent posture. However, shifting global priorities - including an increasing focus on the Indo-Pacific - have prompted Washington to reassess its commitments. The 3.5% GDP target, agreed by all 32 members, marks a significant escalation from the previous 2% guideline and reflects the growing expectation for European self-reliance. The upcoming summit in Ankara will be a critical moment to demonstrate that these commitments are taken seriously.
In air and maritime domains, Europeans have actually exceeded the cuts. Colonel Martin L. O'Donnell, a spokesperson at NATO's military command, said: "In the air and maritime domain, Europeans can and have stepped up." He added that allies have replaced over 100% of US capabilities in those areas. For example, Bulgaria is receiving F‑16 fighter jets that match or exceed US equipment.
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Sir John Stringer, NATO's deputy supreme allied commander for Europe, declared that "nobody gets an opt out on that one" and that "NATO will expect all nations, including the UK, to live by their commitments." This target comes after political signals from the Trump administration and a perceived US pivot away from Europe.
The UK recently saw its defense secretary, John Healey, resign over what he said was inadequate defense spending.
In an interview with Bloomberg Television before next week's NATO summit in Ankara, Stringer offered that assurance, noting that allies aim to address recent US signals of a pivot away from Europe.
Stringer said, "European allies have definitely stepped up in terms of backfilling the adjustment in the US forces in Europe," adding that this was a demonstration of "a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO."
A former Royal Air Force pilot, Stringer noted that where Europe cannot supply identical forces, it will seek to replicate the impact using alternative capabilities. On the topic of dividing responsibilities, he said, "Burden-sharing and burden-shifting is now being done in a sensible, proportionate way, absolutely driven by military logic." He emphasized that European allies are ready for the change in US focus, and he added that the call to rebalance is not new - Europeans have been increasing their role for years.
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