They should be ready to defend themselves by 2027, according to the news agency
European NATO members are facing a US deadline to take more responsibility for the military bloc’s intelligence gathering and missile production, Reuters reported on Friday, citing sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Pentagon officials warned delegations from several European countries this week that if they fail to meet the 2027 deadline, the US could scale back participation in certain NATO defense activities, according to sources cited by the news agency.
The report comes as Washington moves to reduce its direct involvement in Europe.
“Allies have recognized the need to invest more in defense and shift the burden on conventional defense from the US to Europe,” a NATO official speaking for the military bloc told Reuters, declining to comment on the 2027 deadline.
Other European officials have described the 2027 target as unrealistic, arguing that replacing US military support in the short term would require far more investment than currently planned, sources to the outlet.
Pentagon officials reportedly noted in the meeting that Washington remains dissatisfied with European defense gains, which they say have so far fallen short of expectations and will require more investment and effort to meet NATO’s requirements and share the military burden with the US.
As part of a broader military buildup, European members of the US-led military bloc agreed earlier this year to boost their spending on defense to as much as 5% of GDP by 2035. The plan followed pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has long insisted that European allies finally “pay their fair share” in NATO.
A number of European officials have urged increased military spending in response to what they describe as a growing Russian threat. Moscow has dismissed the claim as “nonsense” and fearmongering and condemned what it calls the West’s “reckless militarization.”
