The US sets a deadline for improving NATO's defense capabilities, which are led by Europe.

According to Reuters on December 6, Pentagon officials said the U.S. wants Europe to take over the majority of NATO's conventional defense capabilities – from intelligence to missiles – by 2027. This message was sent to European diplomats in Washington this week, with a tight deadline that many European officials believe is unlikely to be met.

Reuters reported that the information was confirmed by five sources familiar with the matter, including a U.S. official. The message was conveyed during a meeting in Washington between the Pentagon's NATO policy team and several European delegations.

If this burden were indeed shifted from the United States to the European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, it would profoundly alter how the U.S. – a founding member of the alliance after World War II – coordinates with its most important military partners.

At the meeting, Pentagon officials stated that Washington remains dissatisfied with Europe's efforts to bolster its defense capabilities since Russia's special military operation in Ukraine in 2022.

U.S. officials have told their counterparts that if Europe fails to meet the 2027 deadline, the U.S. may withdraw from some NATO defense coordination mechanisms, according to sources who requested anonymity because the discussions were private.

A U.S. official said that some members of Congress have been informed and have expressed concern about the message the Pentagon is sending to European countries.

According to Reuters, conventional defense capabilities include non-nuclear assets, from soldiers to weapons. However, U.S. officials did not elaborate on how Washington would assess Europe's progress in assuming the majority of this responsibility.

It is also unclear whether the 2027 deadline reflects the official position of the Trump administration or merely the view of some Pentagon officials. Significant disagreements exist in Washington regarding the military role the U.S. should play in Europe.

Many European officials argue that the 2027 deadline is unrealistic, regardless of Washington's criteria, because in the short term Europe needs more budget and political will to replace some of the capabilities currently held by the US.

Furthermore, NATO allies are facing shortages in the production of the military equipment they want to purchase. While U.S. officials encourage Europe to increase its purchases of U.S.-made weapons, many of the most advanced American weapons and defense systems would take years to deliver if ordered now.

The U.S. also contributed capabilities that Europe could not simply "buy," such as its unique intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, which proved crucial in Ukraine's war effort.

When asked for comment, a NATO official representing the alliance said that European countries have begun to assume more responsibility for the continent's security, but did not mention a 2027 deadline. "The allies have recognized the need to increase defense investment and shift some of the burden of conventional defense from the United States to Europe," the official said.

The U.S. Department of Defense and the White House have not commented on the matter.