ByPHILLIP NIETO, US POLITICAL REPORTER
Published:11:37 EDT, 26 May 2026|Updated:13:39 EDT, 26 May 2026
Donald Trumpis set to slash the arsenal of US fighter jets, warships and submarines reserved forNATOallies should a military crisis erupt in Europe.
A military envoy sent byPete Hegsethblindsided senior NATO officials in a classified Brussels briefing late last week, revealing US firepower committed to defending Europe will significantly decline, Der Spiegel and Reuters reported.
The US fighter jet commitment to NATO is to be slashed by a third, while the Navy will withdraw destroyers from the alliance's pool.
Washington will also pull its submarines from the alliance altogether, envoy Alexander Velez-Green reportedly told officials behind closed doors.
Europe will be left to maintain its own supply of reconnaissance drones, a weapon that has proved decisive on the battlefields ofUkraine.
Velez-Green stressed the US is prepared to cooperate closely only with allies who move quickly to plug the gaps left by Washington's drawdown.
Some officials in the secret meeting interpreted the message as an indirect threat, according to Der Spiegel.
The Daily Mail has contacted the White House and the Pentagon for comment.
Source: Drudge Report
