“This will be a real review,” Hegseth told fellow ministers in Brussels.
The announcement comes after months of U.S. moves to pare back parts of its European presence.
Washington has already moved to withdraw about 5,000 soldiers from Germany, a step U.S. officials have said would bring American troop levels in Europe closer to where they stood before Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The administration has also reduced U.S. contributions to NATO force-planning requirements, including high-end assets such as fighter aircraft, airborne refueling tankers, maritime patrol planes and naval capabilities that European allies may struggle to replace quickly.
Europe’s wealthiest allies, Hegseth said, can no longer rely on the United States to underwrite the continent’s defense while falling short on spending, readiness and access commitments.
Speaking after the meeting, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called the U.S. announcement “completely acceptable,” and added the force posture review is “only logical.”