WASHINGTON — The United States is planning to drastically slash the number of fighter jets, warships, and military assets it provides to NATO in Europe, according to a stunning new report by The New York Times.
The reported cutbacks come at a highly sensitive time, as European nations are racing to bolster their domestic defense capacities. Ever since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, fears have been mounting across the continent that Moscow could potentially target a NATO member state.
According to the report, US President Donald Trump has expressed deep frustration with European allies, allegedly calling the 32-member alliance a “paper tiger” and labeling its members as “cowards” due to their refusal to join the ongoing US-Israeli military conflict against Iran.
Massive Reductions in Military Hardware
Citing two unidentified senior European officials, The New York Times revealed that Washington’s reallocations will significantly weaken NATO’s current aerial and maritime defense shield in Europe.
The planned reductions include:
- Fighter Jets: A massive one-third (33%) reduction in the number of US fighter jets deployed to Europe.
- Refueling Tankers: The complete removal of all eight US aerial refueling tankers from the region.
- Maritime Surveillance: A sharp decrease in maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
- Naval & Strategic Assets: The relocation of a missile-launching submarine, an aircraft carrier, a fleet of bomber aircraft, and several other warships and fighter jets.
Ending “Unhealthy Co-Dependence”
The US European Command recently stated that it would thoroughly reassess Washington’s overall contributions to NATO. The goal, according to military officials, is to “ensure Europe takes primary responsibility for its own conventional defense.”
In a sharp critique of the current dynamic, US General Alexus Grynkewich openly accused European nations of maintaining “an unhealthy co-dependence” on United States military forces.
Founded in 1949, the 32-member NATO bloc operates on the foundational principle of collective security—stating that an attack on one member is legally treated as an attack on the entire alliance.
A Historic Summit in Turkey
The escalating tensions come just ahead of a crucial gathering of world leaders. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed last week that President Trump is scheduled to attend the upcoming NATO summit in Turkey this July.
Rubio pointed out the high stakes of the meeting, describing it as “probably the most important meeting in NATO’s history, because there’s some things that need to be cleared up and fixed.”
