US Asks Europe to Take Over Most NATO Defence Duties by 2027 ... But Allies Say the Timeline Isn’t Realistic
According to reports, the US has requested European NATO partners to take over most of the alliance’s conventional defence responsibilities, such as intelligence and missile systems, by 2027. The article explains the reasons behind Washington’s move, the European response concerning the unfeasibility of the timeline, and the implications this has for NATO's future.
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The United States has reportedly urged European NATO members to take over the majority of the alliance’s conventional defence responsibilities — from missile systems to intelligence operations — by 2027, a move that could dramatically reshape the way NATO functions. The request, which Reuters first reported, was made during a closed-door briefing in Washington involving Pentagon officials and European diplomats.
But European officials are already raising red flags, calling the proposed deadline “unrealistic” and warning that Europe simply does not have the capacity to replace America’s deep-rooted defence role in such a short time.
Washington Signals Frustration With Europe’s Defence Efforts
Sources familiar with the briefing say the US expressed growing dissatisfaction with Europe’s slow progress in boosting defence capabilities after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite increased defence spending, Washington believes Europe is still far from being able to defend the continent without significant support from the US.
According to officials who attended the meeting:
Europe has to be ready to take over most NATO conventional defence duties by 2027
Failure to meet this target may lead Washington to retreat from vital NATO coordination mechanisms
Some members of Congress are already aware of the push and concerned about NATO’s future
What remains unclear, however, is whether the 2027 demand reflects the Trump administration’s official stance or is it an internal Pentagon communication that may not be fully endorsed across Washington.
No Clear Plan for Measuring Europe’s Progress
Although the US wants Europe to take the lead, Pentagon officials did not indicate how progress would be evaluated. Conventional defence duties encompass a broad range of resources — troops, missile systems, surveillance, logistics and more — and Europe has considerable shortages in all these sectors.
European officials maintain that the deadline is practically unachievable, especially with the long lead times for new weapons, slow defence production, and continued reliance on US intelligence and surveillance capabilities.
Europe’s Capability Gaps Are a Major Hurdle
In spite of higher spending, European armies still contend with:
Significant production backlogs for munitions and land systems
Long waiting times for sophisticated American systems
Serious under-supply in air defence, unmanned aerial vehicle, artillery, and cyber areas
Dependence on US secret and aerial spying, which will not be easily translated
Many of such systems have a long manufacturing and deployment time, thus making a 2027 target quite aggressive.
A NATO Spokesman admitted that Europe had been bolstering its defensive capacities but refrained from commenting on the specific deadline.
Europe Is Spending More — But Not Fast Enough
The European countries have largely acknowledged President Donald Trump’s old demand that Western Europe shoulder the greater part of the defence burden along the lines of the US. The military budgets of the EU have seen sharp increases, and the Union is, in its turn, not only aiming at but trying to make the continent able to defend itself by 2030.
Analysts, however, opine that even the EU’s 2030 goal is highly aspirational, not to mention the 2027 timeline.
The US–NATO Relationship Remains Volatile
The tone of the Trump administration regarding NATO changes continuously.
He stated during the 2024 race that he would advise Putin to attack those NATO members who do not meet the spending targets.
At the 2025 NATO summit, he congratulated old Europe on raising its defence budgets to 5% of GDP.
Recently, he has gone from a tough policy on Russia to suggesting that his next direct interlocutor on the Ukraine issue would be initially Moscow, often excluding European partners from the process.
This inconsistency has caused anxiety among European states about the durability of the US commitment to NATO.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau summed up this week the bluntness of Washington’s position, tweeting on X (formerly Twitter):
“European allies taking responsibility for the defences of their continent is absolutely clear... Our Administration has no intention of going back on what it has said.”
