It still has to be Trump’s “good son” who can bend and stretch according to circumstances. Given the current relationship between the US and Europe, which is akin to a love affair filled with hatred, only NATO Secretary General Rutte could do something like this—after being criticized harshly, he still claims that the US “dad” is right.
On June 18th, local time, at the NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel directly criticized NATO as a “paper tiger,” and harshly condemned the defense ministers of NATO countries as “shameless.” He focused solely on issues related to gender equality and climate change. At the same time, he announced that there would be a six-month comprehensive review of military forces stationed in Europe and America, catching European allies and Canada by surprise.
After being severely criticized by the American side, Lützen still tried to maintain his dignity. “I’m glad he did this, because we need to be honest with each other and tell the truth.”
Euronews reported on August 18th that Lyu tried to downplay Högse's fierce criticism of NATO.
In the press conference following the meeting, Rutte emphasized that this US defense secretary also recognized that all allies have increased their military spending. In just 2025 alone, the total additional defense expenditures of various countries exceeded 90 billion euros, setting a new record.
“But you will find that there are indeed some allies who have held back their investments. And what Herges has done today is to continue to exert pressure, which is actually a good thing,” he said.
According to reports, in recent weeks, the US has informed its allies that it will reduce the authority to deploy US combat resources under NATO forces during wartime. NATO officials and member countries generally believe that the US’s move is aimed at punishing European countries for their insufficient support of the US in the Iran conflict.
It is reported that all American resources related to deep strike capabilities will be cut off. This includes US long-range strategic bombers such as the B-2 and B-52. Naval vessels such as submarines and aircraft carriers carrying missiles will also be withdrawn and deployed in other military areas.
Lütt explained that any plan to reduce military forces would be part of a structured process, and would be thoroughly discussed with allies, including the NATO military planners under the command of the European Allied Commander.
According to reports from The Washington Post and others, Hagersees refers to this review program as “NATO 3.0 Review”. The results of the review will depend on how quickly European countries take responsibility for their own security.
Hagel told the defense chiefs of countries to the north that NATO has long been a ‘paper tiger’, and this situation will not continue. He emphasized that this will be a real review, aimed at ensuring that NATO moves in a ‘rapid and irreversible’ direction towards Europe taking primary responsibility for regional defense. ‘Some countries will fail the review, but others will submit impressive reports.’
He also criticized some NATO allies for not providing US military with the necessary facilities, such as bases for deployment and overflights, when the United States has taken actions against Middle Eastern targets recently. He called these practices “shameful”. He said that the US will pay close attention to which allies say “no”, use words like “maybe” or choose to remain neutral at critical moments.
According to AFP, as the NATO summit approaches next month, the United States is intensifying pressure to ensure that its allies fulfill their commitment made last year to significantly increase defense spending.
Hageth said that Washington’s future payments for NATO operations will “depend” on whether allies meet their spending targets. The United States will pay approximately $790 million this year. He said, “If other allies do not make urgent expenditures, our share of contributions will also decrease.”
This is Hageuse's first attendance at a NATO meeting this year; he had previously missed the relevant meetings in February. He also did not stay long on Thursday, leaving before the meeting ended.
Before returning to his country by plane, Hagerth said to the reporter, "I'm glad to hear that one country after another has stated that they will meet the standards. However, there are still a few countries that fall behind. We will clarify our position to them during the evaluation process."
According to reports, the United States has the largest armed force within NATO and has no intention of withdrawing its nuclear weapons deployed in Europe. These nuclear forces are at the core of NATO’s deterrence system. To emphasize this point, the NATO Nuclear Planning Group released its first statement in 19 years after Thursday’s meeting. The statement read: “The alliance’s strategic nuclear forces remain the highest guarantee of the security of its member states and support NATO’s extended deterrence framework.”
All defense ministers have reached a consensus and agree to modernize NATO's nuclear capabilities, strengthen nuclear planning capabilities, and make adjustments to achieve its security interests, thereby continuing to enhance NATO's nuclear deterrent mission.
Lütke downplayed the impact of the US arms reduction measures, saying, “Once war breaks out, all member states will commit all their forces to the combat. It is important to understand what we can rely on and what resources are theoretically available during the planning phase.”
