Hegseth renews Nato criticism and says US will review presence in Europe

10 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on Google Dan Salesand Jessica Parker, at Nato headquarters in Brussels EPA Pete Hegseth warned that while some countries would fail, "others will pass with flying colours" US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has severely criticised some of America's Nato allies, while announcing a six-month review of the presence of US forces in Europe. "It's a review that some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colours", he said at a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels, singling out allies that he suggested had been "free-riding". Hegseth was also highly critical of Nato member states that had imposed limits on help to US forces during the war with Iran. The aim of the review, which Hegseth termed Nato 3.0, was to "ensure that Nato is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading" on security on the continent. A US official told the BBC that nothing had yet been predetermined. The US wants Nato members to contribute more to defence spending in Europe and says some countries have not shown how they will reach an agreed target of 5% of national economic output (GDP) which includes 3.5% on core defence and 1.5% on related infrastructure. Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte said defence spending had already gone up €90bn (£78bn; $103bn) last year - a rise of almost 20% - and Europeans were "already backfilling" resources that the US was cutting back on. Hegseth's announcement of a review follows a US decision to scale back its commitments to a high readiness force within the alliance known as the Nato Force Model (NFM). Details of how the US will reduce its commitments have not been made public but it has been indicated they include air and naval capabilities. Hegseth said Nato's annual dues would be "contingent on other countries meeting their defence spending targets; where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues contributions will go down". "Some of Nato's largest economies, some of our richest countries, allies that are happiest to go on about the rules-based international order and middle powers banding together, still seem to think the era of free-riding is here," he added. He did not single out which countries he meant. A senior Nato official conceded that "not everything" that the US was withdrawing "can be absolutely replaced" but Rutte said some work had already been done and further efforts were under way. He also revealed that the changes were taking effect immediately.