U.S. warns NATO members over defense gaps as Pentagon reviews European force posture

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced a comprehensive review of U.S. military forces in Europe, signalling a tougher American stance toward NATO members over defense spending and foreign policy. According to Reuters, Hegseth made the announcement in Brussels while harshly criticising some allies over their contributions to collective defence and their positions on the Iran war, stating that the review would determine which countries "will fail, and others will pass with flying colours." The move comes as Washington seeks to reset expectations for European NATO members.

For Italy, which hosts significant U.S. military infrastructure including the Naval Support Activity Naples base and air installations in the south, the review carries direct implications for bilateral defence relations. Italy's defence spending has risen in recent years to meet NATO targets, but the Pentagon's emphasis on alignment over spending alone suggests scrutiny may extend beyond budget figures to foreign policy coherence, particularly on Iran and Middle East strategy where Italian positions have sometimes diverged from Washington's approach.

The review reflects broader American impatience with what the Trump administration views as burden-sharing imbalances within the alliance. Hegseth's framing—that some nations will "fail"—introduces a transactional language into NATO discourse that signals the Pentagon may recommend reallocating or withdrawing forces from members deemed insufficiently committed. For Rome, which depends on U.S. strategic presence in the Mediterranean, the outcome of Hegseth's assessment could reshape Italy's role in European security architecture and its leverage within both NATO and EU defence initiatives.