US allies in NATO have begun to take greater responsibility for their security, but Washington wants to see an alliance based on real partnership, not dependence, Reuters reports.
This was announced by US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Political Affairs Elbridge Colby in the context of the White House's new strategy for reformatting the Alliance.
Main highlights of the Pentagon's new course
Full conventional independence: The US administration is demanding that European nations take over the management and provision of conventional defense on the Old Continent.
Maintaining the nuclear umbrella: Washington confirms that the US strategic nuclear deterrent will remain in force as a guarantee under Article 5 of the NATO treaty.
Strategic pragmatism: According to Colby, the realignment of resources is not a “withdrawal from Europe“, but an adaptation to the reality that the US must focus on deterring China in the Indo-Pacific region.
Eliminating co-dependency: The Commander of the US European Command (USEUCOM), General Alexus Grinkiewicz, also warned of “unhealthy co-dependency“ in the current NATO force model.
Preparation for the Ankara Summit
The statement comes just days before the key NATO summit in Ankara (July 7-8, 2026). At it, the Alliance is expected to officially announce that European countries have filled almost all the gaps left by the gradual reduction of US conventional contingents and equipment. European allies are already massively accelerating their defense spending, aiming for new long-term targets of 3.5% of GDP by 2035 to offset the continent's shrinking U.S. fleet and air force.