The US warns that Europe "can do more" in the face of its "immediate" military withdrawal

BrusselsThe United States administration has once again lashed out at European allies from Brussels. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, accompanied by the loyal NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, has welcomed the efforts of the rest of the partners to rearm, but has criticized that there are "some" European countries that "can still do more" in terms of military spending and has warned that Donald Trump's administration will be "honest and sincere" in pressuring them to increase their efforts, "both publicly and privately". "I think it's important, friends have to be honest with friends," Hegseth said at the entrance to Thursday's Defense Ministerial in Brussels.

In his usual tone, Hegseth told Europeans that defense problems are a consequence of having prioritized wrong policies. "Instead of tanks and air defenses, the focus has been on gender equality, climate change, and defense austerity," said the secretary, who once again attacked European immigration policy, a common criticism of the Trump administration. "European borders have been thrown wide open, the welfare state has expanded, but defense budgets have fallen by the wayside. Just as Europe's faith in itself and its civilization has fallen by the wayside," he said.

The US Secretary of War wanted to issue this warning after statements from several European leaders who admitted difficulties in complying with the military spending growth path agreed at last year's NATO summit in The Hague. Currently, European allies dedicate around 2.3% of their gross domestic product (GDP) to defense, and they committed to reaching 5% progressively by 2035.

Spain was the only ally that refused to agree to spend 5% of its GDP on defense, but now it seems it is no longer alone. Although the rest committed to it, the governments of Italy and the United Kingdom have shown signs that they will not be able to meet this large increase. Countries like Slovakia, Hungary, or the Czech Republic have also admitted complications.

In the same vein as Hegseth, Rutte has reiterated that allies “have to meet the commitments” of NATO military spending, but has also celebrated the efforts and the fact that they have increased the alliance's budget by 20% compared to the previous year. “In 2025, more than 19 billion dollars have been contributed additionally compared to 2024, which represents an almost 20% increase in defense spending. This is truly fantastic, and we need it to move towards the 5% goal in defense spending,” he assured.

An "immediate" withdrawal

Rutte has confirmed that the withdrawal of military capabilities from the United States on the European continent will be “immediate” and that European partners have already begun to supply them. “Europeans are filling this gap. Part of this is already done, and another part is in progress. We are working on it and, of course, we still have work to do,” he assured.

The Dutch leader, however, denied that this leaves the European continent unprotected in the midst of the war in Ukraine and explained that Washington would activate in any case if an ally were attacked. “What would happen in reality if a war broke out? Suppose a situation arose where Article 5 had to be activated. Then all allies, including the US, would give their all to ensure we could fight the war,” he clarified.

On the other hand, the NATO Secretary General has welcomed the pact that was formalized this Wednesday between the United States and Iran, and has praised the work of the President of the United States to limit Iran's nuclear capabilities. "This is what the US has done with this measure, basically since the end of February: ensuring that nuclear capacity is being weakened in Iran," remarked the Dutch leader.