The United States has demanded that Europe assume the majority of NATO’s conventional defense capabilities by 2027, including intelligence, missile systems, and other non-nuclear assets, according to Pentagon officials who briefed European diplomats in Washington this week.
The message — described by five informed sources, including one U.S. official — was delivered during a meeting between Pentagon staff overseeing NATO policy and several European delegations. The proposed timeline was viewed by multiple European officials as unrealistic.
According to reporting by Reuters, Washington is dissatisfied with Europe’s progress in strengthening its defense capabilities since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Pentagon officials warned that if Europe fails to meet the 2027 deadline, the U.S. may withdraw from certain NATO defense-coordination mechanisms.
Some members of Congress are aware of — and concerned about — the Pentagon’s message, a U.S. official said.
While the U.S. did not specify how it would measure Europe’s progress, the shift would mark a major transformation of America’s role in the transatlantic alliance it helped found after World War II.
European Concerns Over Feasibility
Several European officials said the 2027 deadline is not feasible, regardless of how Washington evaluates the effort. Europe, they argued, would need far more than funding and political will to replace key U.S. defense capabilities in such a short timeframe.
NATO members also face industrial backlogs in the production of military equipment they are urgently trying to procure. Although Washington has encouraged Europe to buy more American-made systems, many of these high-value weapons would take years to deliver if ordered today.
The U.S. additionally provides unique intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities that cannot simply be purchased, but have been essential to Ukraine’s defense.
A NATO official, speaking for the alliance, confirmed that European allies have begun taking on greater responsibility for the continent’s security but declined to comment on the proposed 2027 deadline. “Allies recognize the need to invest more in defense and to shift the burden of conventional defense from the U.S. to Europe,” the official said.
EU Plans Already Lag Behind
European nations have broadly accepted President Donald Trump’s demand that they take on greater responsibility for their own security. The European Union has set a goal of making the continent “defense-ready” by 2030, with commitments to fill gaps in air defense, drones, cyber warfare capabilities, and ammunition supplies.
However, officials and analysts acknowledge that even the EU’s 2030 target is considered highly ambitious.
