Speaking at a press conference in Warsaw, Poland, Hegseth said that U.S. force levels in Europe are important but must be scrutinized.
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“What happens five, 10, 15 years from now is part of a larger discussion that reflects the threat level, Americaās posture, our needs around the globe, but most importantly the capability of European countries to step up,” he said. “Thatās why our message is so stark to our European allies ā now is the time to invest because you canāt make an assumption that Americaās presence will last forever.”
His comments come on the end of a week-long trip through Europe that included stops in Germany to visit U.S. Africa Command and Brussels for a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers. While at the alliance headquarters, he hinted that Europeans would have to step up conventional deterrence against Russia.
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Hegseth also sparked fears as to whether the U.S. would largely abandon investment in NATO moving forward after he expressed āthat stark strategic realities prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe.ā
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No decision has yet been made on changing U.S. force presence in Europe, though the Trump administration has said it is reviewing where it puts troops globally.
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Vance, meanwhile, in remarks at the Munich Security Conference, argued the biggest threats facing Europe were not China or Russia, but the issue of mass migration and laws that restrict free speech.
āWhile the Trump administration is very concerned with European security and believes we can come to a reasonable settlement between Russia and Ukraine ā¦ the threat that I worry the most about vis-Ć -vis Europe is not Russia, itās not China, itās not any other external actor,ā Vance said.
āAnd what I worry about is the threat from within,ā he continued. āThe retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.ā
Vanceās remarks did not delve into the conflict in Ukraine, where the Trump administration isĀ pushing for a ceasefire negotiation, nor did he discuss at length President Trumpās desire for Europe to commit more to defense spending.
Instead, Vance accused European officials of using laws meant to minimize misinformation and disinformation to marginalize populist voices and voters, which garnered a tepid reception in the room.Ā
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
