President Donald Trump has spent years hammering North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies for treating the United States like the world’s ATM while refusing to carry their fair share of the burden.
From his first term onward, Trump repeatedly called out European nations for failing to meet defense spending commitments while expecting American taxpayers and American troops to do the heavy lifting whenever global crises erupted.
His pressure campaign forced several NATO countries to finally increase military spending. But recent events have reinforced the belief that too many supposed allies still expect America to do the fighting while they issue stern statements from the sidelines.
Critics point specifically to the muted response from countries such as Spain, the United Kingdom, and France during Operation Epic Fury and during Iran’s attempted disruption of the Strait of Hormuz.
To many America First conservatives, the episode once again highlighted what they see as a one-sided alliance structure. Washington shoulders the military risks while wealthy European nations hesitate when real confrontation arrives.
Well, it appears that Trump has finally had enough:
The U.S. intends to significantly reduce military contributions available to assist European allies in a ?crisis, including fighter jets, warships and mid-air refueling aircraft, German news outlet Spiegel reported on Tuesday.
The NATO alliance is under unprecedented strain, with some European countries concerned that Washington may withdraw outright.
President Donald Trump has slammed European allies for not spending enough on their militaries and ?pledged to withdraw thousands of troops from Germany. His ambition to take control of Greenland, a Danish overseas territory, has further inflamed transatlantic tensions.
???? NEW: U.S. reduces NATO military support
The United States is scaling back key military assets assigned to NATO, including fewer fighter jets, reduced strategic bombers, and no submarine contributions, according to Der Spiegel and Reuters.
The move, discussed in a closed… pic.twitter.com/6ROQfQwSkw
— Defence Index (@Defence_Index) May 26, 2026
NEW: U.S. reduces NATO military support
The United States is scaling back key military assets assigned to NATO, including fewer fighter jets, reduced strategic bombers, and no submarine contributions, according to Der Spiegel and Reuters.
The move, discussed in a closed NATO briefing, has reportedly surprised European allies and highlights Europe’s heavy reliance on U.S. defense support amid ongoing tensions with Russia.
The report went on to say that the Europeans are going to have to re-learn a concept known as “self-reliance”:
Washington will also pull its submarines from NATO altogether, envoy Alexander Velez-Green reportedly told officials behind closed doors.
Europe will be responsible for maintaining its own supply of reconnaissance drones, a key weapon on the modern battlefield of Ukraine.
Hegseth’s envoy stressed that the US is prepared to cooperate closely only with NATO partners who act quickly to close the gaps left by Washington’s scaling back of support.
Some officials in the secret meeting interpreted the message as an indirect threat, according to Der Spiegel.
Trump had already made clear he was losing patience with Germany after ordering the Pentagon to pull roughly 5,000 American troops from the country. The decision followed comments from Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticizing the administration’s handling of Iran.
Merz had claimed in late April that the United States “clearly” lacked a strategy on Iran and suggested American negotiators were being “humiliated” by Tehran. The remarks that reportedly enraged Trump and further deepened tensions between Washington and parts of Europe.
The troop drawdown reportedly caught many European officials completely off guard.
It looks like NATO’s days of being stingy with their support for the alliance (and contempt for Trump) are finally being dealt with. Can’t say I’m against this; NATO should have gone away when the Soviet Union dissolved and the Warsaw Pact collapsed.
