U.S. to Cut NATO Force Contributions, Demands Europe Step Up

(MENAFN) The U.S. Department of War has formally notified allied nations that Washington intends to scale back its role within the NATO Force Model in a move officials are calling a "rightsizing" of American commitments, the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) announced Wednesday.

According to a USEUCOM statement, the decision is driven by alignment with Washington's 2026 National Defense Strategy and an overarching departmental push toward what officials have branded "NATO 3.0."

USEUCOM Commander Alexus G. Grynkewich did not mince words in explaining the rationale. "There has been an unhealthy co-dependence in the NATO Force Model on U.S. forces," he said, warning that the growing risk of simultaneous military engagements across multiple global theaters makes the status quo untenable.

To fill the void left by Washington's drawdown, Grynkewich indicated that Canada and European member states would be expected to rapidly expand their own contributions — specifically deploying additional manned and unmanned aircraft alongside naval vessels.

The directive sets the stage for a high-stakes confrontation at the NATO Summit, slated for Ankara this July, where burden-sharing is poised to dominate the agenda as the alliance faces mounting pressure to redefine its collective defense structure without leaning on American firepower.

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