Trump Admin Plans to Gut US Crisis Forces Allocated to NATO: Report

The Trump administration plans to scale back the U.S. military forces it would make available to NATO in a major crisis, three sources told Reuters, marking a significant shift in Washington's commitment to the alliance.

The move, expected to be communicated to allies at a defense meeting in Brussels, would reduce the pool of U.S. capabilities designated for rapid deployment under NATO's force planning system.

The decision underscores a broader push for European countries to assume primary responsibility for their own defense, potentially reshaping NATO's crisis response and raising new concerns among allies about the reliability of U.S. support.

U.S. Signals Shift in NATO Force Commitments

Under the NATO Force Model, member states identify military capabilities that can be activated in the event of a conflict or other major emergency, such as an attack on a NATO country. Sources said the Pentagon has decided to significantly reduce the U.S. share of those forces, though the exact scale and timeline of the reduction remain unclear.

Officials are expected to outline the shift at an upcoming meeting of defense policy chiefs, according to Reuters, offering allies their clearest indication yet that Washington is moving to rebalance its role in the alliance.

Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby has said the United States will continue to rely on its nuclear arsenal to protect NATO members, even as European allies take on greater responsibility for conventional forces.

"What we're basically saying is, as the European pillar of the alliance gets stronger, this allows the U.S. to reduce its presence in Europe and limit itself to providing only those critical capabilities that allies cannot yet provide," Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said in a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday. "So we should expect there to be a redeployment of U.S. forces over time as allies build their capacity."

Allies Face Pressure as NATO Tensions Rise

The planned reduction comes as NATO faces mounting internal strain, with some European governments already concerned that the United States could further scale back its military posture in the region.

The move follows other recent steps, including U.S. troop reductions in Europe, highlighting a broader shift in American defense priorities and reinforcing Trump's long-standing view that allies should shoulder more of the burden for regional security.

Adjusting the NATO Force Model has emerged as a key priority ahead of the alliance's upcoming summit in Turkey in July, where leaders are expected to confront the implications of a reduced U.S. role in conventional defense planning.

While U.S. officials emphasize that the country will maintain its nuclear guarantee for NATO, analysts warn that scaling back conventional forces could complicate the alliance's ability to respond quickly to crises and deepen uncertainty about its long-term cohesion.

This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.

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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 2:16 PM.