Exclusive: US plans to shrink forces available to NATO during crises, sources say

Source: Reuters

May 19, 2026 4:13 PM EDT Updated 4 hours ago


WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS, May 19 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is planning ​to tell NATO allies this week that it will shrink the pool of military capabilities that the U.S. would have available ‌to assist the alliance's European nations in a major crisis, three sources familiar with the matter said.

Under a framework known as the NATO Force Model, the alliance's member countries identify a pool of available forces that could be activated during a conflict or any other major crisis, such as a military attack on a NATO member.

While the precise ​composition of those wartime forces is a closely guarded secret, the Pentagon has decided to significantly scale down its commitment, said the sources, ​who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the plans. U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear he expects European countries ⁠to take over primary responsibility for the continent's security from the United States. The message to allies this week is a concrete sign of ​that policy being implemented.

Several details were unclear, such as how quickly the Pentagon plans to shift crisis-mode responsibilities onto European allies. The sources said, however, that ​the Pentagon plans to announce its intention to lessen its commitment at a Friday meeting of defense policy chiefs in Brussels.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us-plans-shrink-forces-available-nato-during-crises-sources-say-2026-05-19/