U.S. to Cut NATO Force Model Commitment Ahead of Brussels Talks

The United States is preparing to significantly reduce the military forces it would commit to NATO for a major crisis in Europe, signaling a concrete shift toward expecting allies to take primary responsibility for continental security. According to sources familiar with the plans, the Pentagon intends to announce the scaled-down commitment at a meeting of defense policy chiefs in Brussels on Friday.

The adjustment pertains to the NATO Force Model, a classified framework through which member nations identify forces available for activation during a conflict or other major emergency, such as an attack on a member state. While the precise composition of these forces is secret, officials said the U.S. commitment will be substantially reduced. The announcement is expected to be delivered by Alex Velez-Green, a senior aide to Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby.

This move aligns with President Donald Trump's stated policy that European countries should assume the lead role in their own conventional defense. Colby has previously stated that the United States would continue to provide nuclear deterrence for NATO members, even as it pushes allies to bolster their conventional forces....