Pentagon Asks NATO Allies to Prepare for a More European-Led Defense of Europe
The Pentagon is moving its review of U.S. forces in Europe toward concrete options after briefing NATO ambassadors in Brussels on August 27, 2026, about a possible future in which European allies take a larger role in defending the continent.
The briefing did not announce a final troop level, base-closure list or implementation schedule. Instead, it showed that the administration’s calls for greater European responsibility are being translated into a formal review of U.S. deployments, military access and alliance roles.
What happened in Brussels
Elbridge Colby, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters. NATO said the meeting covered deterrence, defense and the ongoing U.S. review of its force posture in Europe.
Colby told the ambassadors that the review was not limited to deciding where particular bases should be located. He described it as a broader examination of the United States’ strategic posture in Europe and said consultations with allies were a central part of the process.
Reuters reported that diplomats described the discussion as positive but preliminary. That means the meeting marked continued consultation, not agreement on a final force plan.
What the Pentagon is reviewing
The United States announced a six-month review of its military posture in Europe in June. According to Reuters, the process is expected to produce at least four sets of options for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by November 6, 2026. The review is due to be completed in December 2026.
The options could address troop deployments, bases, military access and the broader structure of the alliance. They also reflect a larger policy question: how much of Europe’s conventional defense should be carried by European allies and Canada rather than by the United States.
Colby said the goal was to encourage and enable a more durable, European-led conventional defense of the continent. That is a policy direction, not a declaration that European allies have already assumed primary responsibility.
What NATO allies were asked to provide
The Pentagon has circulated a questionnaire seeking written information about allies’ defense spending, procurement plans, military strategy and support for U.S. priorities, Reuters reported.
Reuters and The Associated Press also reported that the questionnaire asks about access to bases and airspace. Those issues matter because any change in the U.S. military presence would depend not only on troop numbers, but also on whether American forces can move, train and operate reliably across Europe.
The requests for information are not evidence that any particular ally has agreed to a new arrangement. They also do not establish that the United States has decided to withdraw from a specific country or installation.
About 80,000 U.S. troops remain in Europe
AP reported that about 80,000 U.S. troops remain deployed in Europe and that the Pentagon is reviewing how deep further cuts should go. AP’s figure describes the remaining U.S. military presence; it does not mean that all of those troops are combat forces, and it is not a newly announced reduction tied to the August 27 briefing.
Any future changes could affect deployments, exercises, logistics, air access and the role of U.S. bases. Those consequences remain possible outcomes while the review is underway.
The policy framework
The administration’s direction is laid out in the 2026 National Defense Strategy. The document says NATO allies should take primary responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense, with critical but more limited support from U.S. forces.
The strategy describes Europe as important to American security while prioritizing defense of the U.S. homeland and deterrence of China in the Indo-Pacific. In that framework, shifting more conventional defense responsibility to European allies is intended to align U.S. resources with those priorities while maintaining transatlantic cooperation.
What NATO said
NATO confirmed that Colby briefed allies on the U.S. force-posture review and said they welcomed continued engagement and cooperation.
That response supports keeping the consultation process open, but it does not establish consensus on troop reductions, base closures or changes to access arrangements. The next major milestones are the expected presentation of options to Hegseth by November 6 and completion of the review in December.
Until those steps occur, the United States has not announced a final new troop level, a specific list of European base closures or a detailed implementation schedule.
Sources
- Reuters — Pentagon policy chief tells NATO allies U.S. wants European-led defense of continent
- Associated Press — Pentagon presses NATO allies to boost Europe's defense
- NATO News — Secretary General welcomes U.S. Under Secretary of War for Policy
- U.S. Department of Defense — 2026 National Defense Strategy
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