NATO: Washington Urges Europe to Take On Most Conventional Defense Responsibilities by 2027

The United States has informed its European allies that it expects Europe to assume the majority of NATO’s conventional defense responsibilities by 2027.

This message, delivered during meetings with European diplomats, came with a clear warning: if European countries fail to make sufficient progress, Washington may withdraw from certain key NATO planning functions. However, U.S. officials have not specified how such progress would be measured.

European officials, for their part, consider the 2027 target to be unrealistic. They argue that, given the current level of military capabilities, budgetary constraints, and the time required to significantly strengthen Europe’s armed forces, meeting such a deadline would be extremely difficult.

The U.S. pressure comes at a time of rising global tensions and renewed debate over burden-sharing within NATO, where Washington has long maintained that Europe must contribute more to its own defense.