US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a review of the future deployment of US troops in Europe. It is expected to last six months, Focus writes.
"Today I am announcing a six-month review of the Department of Defense, which will analyze the deployment of US troops and their bases in Europe. The deadline is within six months. "It could be less," Hegseth told a meeting of NATO defense ministers.
Hegseth also said that U.S. allies in Europe should take a bigger role in defending their own continent and help turn NATO into a "hardline military alliance."
There has been a rift between European defense companies and defense ministries. The companies say governments are not signing long-term contracts, while the government says the sector has not been able to increase production capacity fast enough.
Against this backdrop, European countries have begun to increase their defense budgets and develop their own long-range weapons systems, some of which could be dual-purpose. Such systems would be sovereign, and decisions about their use would be made without U.S. involvement.