NATO needs to be a 'two-way street', US troops in Europe: statements by Pentagon chief

NATO needs to be a 'two-way street', US troops in Europe: statements by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said that NATO has been a "paper tiger" for far too long, but this must changeUS Secretary of War Pete Hegseth© AP Photo/Julia Demaree NikhinsonBRUSSELS, June 18. /TASS/. NATO has been a "paper tiger" and a "one-way street" for too long – it’s time for a change, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said at a meeting of the alliance’s defense ministers. He also announced that Washington is reviewing the issue of the continued deployment of US troops in Europe. TASS has compiled the key statements by the US secretary of war. NATO policy The US will continue to convey to its NATO allies, both publicly and privately, the importance of increasing defense spending, as many commitments in the area of defense were made at the summit in The Hague. Many countries are following through on them, but some nations "still need to do more," Hegseth noted. NATO must once again become "a hardline military alliance" and play a leading role in Europe’s defense using "conventional" means. NATO has been a "paper tiger" and a "one-way street" for far too long, but this must change: "NATO 3.0 is post-Cold War recognition that needs to go back to a real, hardline military alliance that has real military capabilities capable of deterring right here on the continent and taking the lead for the conventional defense of Europe." NATO is no longer focused on defending Europe; the alliance is prioritizing the gender agenda and environmental issues rather than the production of new types of weapons, Hegseth pointed out. Not all NATO members realize the historical necessity of restoring the alliance’s strength, a point that US President Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized. Pentagon review The Pentagon will review its military strategy with regard to the deployment of US troops in Europe: "I’m announcing today a six-month Department of War review that will examine America’s force posture and basing in Europe." Several European countries will not pass the Pentagon’s review. The review will be conducted in accordance with proposals from US and European commands and will include consultations with the US Congress and allies. Middle East The refusal of many US allies in NATO to assist the Americans in the conflict with Iran is a disgrace, Hegseth pointed out. US contributions to NATO, Europe’s dependence US contributions to NATO will hinge on whether other alliance countries meet their defense spending targets. Europe should not be dependent on the United States; this is not what former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and former French President Charles de Gaulle wanted. TagsUnited StatesNATOMiddle East conflictOver 1,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since start of ceasefire — Health MinistryAccording to the ministry, 3,165 Gaza Strip residents have been injured by Israeli shelling since the ceasefire beganRead moreUS fighter jet downed over Iran likely conducted strikes on ground targets — mediaAccording to CBS News national security analyst Aaron MacLean, the pilots of the downed fighter had sidearmsRead moreTrump thanks Putin, Xi for Russian, Chinese attitude to US war with IranAccording to the US president, everything could have been made "much more difficult", but it was neutralRead moreAir defenses shoot down another five drones flying toward MoscowThe Defense Ministry’s air defenses continue to repel enemy drone attacks on MoscowRead moreRussia comes under one of largest Ukrainian drone attack overnight, calculations showAccording to the calculations, 555 enemy unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down and interceptedRead moreOne of Ukrainian brigades near Zaporozhye lost combat capability — military sources sayRussian officials indicate that Ukrainian forces are scrambling to compensate for their losses by rapidly deploying new recruitsRead moreRussian-made Molniya-PVO interceptor drones prove effective against enemy UAVs The drones proved effective against low-flying targetsRead moreTrump says he might extend stay in Europe to sign deal with IranThe US president still pointed out that on behalf of the United States, the document is supposed to be signed by Vice President JD VanceRead moreWhat is known about coordinated strike on energy facilities in Ukraine by Russian forcesBlasts were reported in Kiev, Sumy, and ChernigovRead moreAttempted Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow becomes largest in two yearsAccording to the mayor’s latest information, air defenses shot down 180 drones over the past eight hoursRead moreUS-Israeli strike on humanitarian aid aircraft in western Iran reportedThe Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic called on all international bodies to take appropriate measures in response to this incidentRead moreUAV strikes on Russia delay return of four minors to families in Ukraine — ombudswomanAccording to Russian Presidential commissioner for children's rights Maria Lvova-Belova, the plan was to carry out the reunification in late JuneRead moreWest adapts 'color revolution' tactics to modern realities — top Russian security officialSergey Shoigu pointed out that 'color revolutions' are a set of externally coordinated actions aimed at removing undesirable political regimes and depriving entire state of their sovereignty without the direct use of armed forcesRead moreUS won’t participate in $300 billion Iran reconstruction fund — TVAccording to the report, there's going to be a $300 billion fund where Gulf neighbors will invest in rebuilding IranRead moreTanker with Iranian oil change course, heading to China — PTIThe change in the destination of Pin Shun appears to be payment-related, Sumit Ritolia, Lead Research Analyst at Kpler, notedRead moreVolkswagen top executives believe company's existence at riskAll members of the executive committee believe that a dramatic change in the automaker’s strategy is necessaryRead morePress review: EU pushes Trump on Russia policy as Moscow warns on Greenland militarizationTop stories from the Russian press on Thursday, June 18thRead moreAir defenses shoot down six more drones flying toward MoscowAccording to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, 28 drones heading for Moscow have been shot down since midnightRead moreUkraine deploys special forces, equipment to Moldovan border — Russian security officialMoldova remains a region where the Kiev regime may provoke hostilities, Moldova remains a region where the Kiev regime may provoke hostilitiesRead moreIN BRIEF: One killed in Rostov Region as air defenses down 555 UAVs across RussiaNearly 180 drones targeting Moscow were downedRead moreRussia’s cutting-edge system 'blinds' Starlink satellites by 'parasitic' signals — expertStarlink satellites are located just 500 km from Earth, while the Volna Kupol Garant is a highly capable system with a directional phased-array antenna, chief designer of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions Dmitry Kuzyakin saidRead moreEngland kicks off World Cup with victory over CroatiaIn their next matches, England will face Ghana, while Croatia will take on PanamaRead moreUpper house speaker slams US-Israeli operation against Iran as geopolitical mistakeValentina Matviyenko emphasized that this intervention has destabilized the Middle East, triggering an energy crisis, yet it ultimately changes nothingRead moreKremlin slams assumptions on alleged shift in situation in Ukraine's favor as incorrectEuropeans are clearly insisting that the war must continue, Yury Ushakov saidRead moreRussian MP warns of nuclear proliferation risk if Israel uses nukes against IranAlexey Pushkov noted that the question of whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will use nuclear weapons in Iran has been actively discussed on American television in recent daysRead moreRussia’s Sevmash Shipyard lays down Yasen-M-class nuclear-powered submarine MurmanskThe Russian shipbuilders launched the construction of the ninth multipurpose nuclear-powered missile-carrying submarine of the upgraded Yasen-M ProjectRead moreUkrainian brigade command begs to be allowed to step down due to casualties in ZaporozhyeAccording to the Russian security officials, 15 servicemen from the brigade were killed by aerial strikes in a single sector aloneRead moreUS would like to come to terms with Russia, China on reducing nuke arsenals — TrumpThe US leader pointed out that the United States has the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons, followed by Russia in second, while China is actively building up its stockpilesRead moreAir defenses down another nine drones heading for Moscow42 drones heading for Moscow have been shot down since midnightRead moreEU preparing for possible energy supply crisis due to conflict in Iran — Spanish newspaperThe EC assures that there is currently no risk to supplies, though markets are feeling the impact of rising Brent crude oil prices, which has led to higher gas and oil prices in EuropeRead moreUkraine’s backers growing weary of supporting Kiev, Lula says after G7 summitAccording to the Brazilian leader, the G7 summit was the first time he had sensed a genuine desire among Western leaders to bring the conflict to an endRead moreRussia expects US delegation to visit country soon — DmitrievThere is no specific dates yetRead moreUkrainian attack on bus carrying children was deliberate — LavrovThe Russian foreign minister said this is absolutely typical of the Kiev regimeRead moreUS, Iranian presidents sign memorandum of understanding — mediaDonald Trump signed a copy of the agreement during a dinner with the French president at the Palace of VersaillesRead moreIran, US officially agree on memorandum text — Iranian diplomatBoth parties signed the documentRead moreIsrael, US attack amusement park in central IranNo information on casualties or damage has been reported yetRead moreTrump claims Iran sustains $2 trillion in damage, declines to discuss assistanceAccording to Donald Trump, the cessation to US strikes makes it possible to restore shipping in the regionRead moreUS seeks to widen Abraham agreements participants through deal with Iran — TrumpUS President Donald Trump noted that Washington would especially like to see Saudi Arabia joinRead moreRussia to continue special op in response to attack on bus with kids — KremlinThe Ukrainian armed forces earlier used a fixed-wing drone to strike a bus carrying a Belarusian children's football teamRead moreRussia welcomes agreement to end US-Iran conflict — Foreign MinistryRussia also commend the dedicated and effective efforts of Pakistani and Qatari mediators in facilitating negotiations and working toward a peaceful resolution, the Russian Foreign Ministry addedRead moreIN BRIEF: Kremlin aide comments on battlefield situation and Trump’s policiesYury Ushakov pointed out that Donald Trump is a politician who played to the beat of his own drummerRead moreRussia must continue informing world about Kiev's atrocities — KremlinDmitry Peskov suggested that European capitals would once again ignore the tragedy caused by the Kiev regime's actionsRead moreWhat is known about largest Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow Region in two yearsAccording to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, air defenses downed more than 190 drones since the start of the dayRead morePutin calls Malaysia Russia’s reliable partner in Asia-Pacific regionThe US leader said the next year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nationsRead moreRussian troops liberate Kutuzovka community in Donetsk region over past day — top brassThe Ukrainian army lost roughly 1,370 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hoursRead moreIRGC calls for US Air Force chief to resign after aircraft downed in IranThe IRGC Navy also congratulated the air defense forces of the Islamic republic’s army on intercepting an US F-15E fighter jet and an A-10 attack aircraft in the skies over IranRead moreKiev deliberately targeted bus with Belarusian children — KremlinAs Dmitry Peskov stressed, the bus was not a military vehicleRead morePakistani PM confirms entering into force of US-Iran memorandumThe memorandum has been endorsed by Shehbaz Sharif as the mediatorRead moreTrump believes both Moscow, Kiev want peace in UkraineThe US leader expressed confidence that the conflict in Ukraine will ultimately be resolvedRead moreEU aid to Ukraine frozen — BorrellThe ex-chief of EU diplomacy said the situation is similar with the approval of new sanctions against RussiaRead moreDrone strike kills civilian in Russia’s southern Rostov RegionThe strike also damaged a locomotive and caused two commercial facilities to catch fireRead moreRussia hands over 522 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen — reporterYevgeny Poddubny said the Russian side returned back the bodies of 33 servicemenRead moreNo one injured as passenger plane makes emergency landing in Russia’s SochiThere were 125 passengers and five crew members on boardRead moreDrone hits apartment building in Zhukovsky outside MoscowAccording to Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov, drone debris fell at several locations in Lubertsy outside Moscow, damaging a fitness center and an industrial facilityRead moreNATO chief confirms that reduction of US troops in Europe to begin 'immediately'Mark Rutte noted that "in reality, if a war breaks out and Article 5 emerges," then "all allies, including the US, will max out what they can do to make sure we can fight the war"Read moreKazan to host main day of Russia-ASEAN summitThe Russian leader is expected not only to participate in two multilateral sessions but also to hold a series of bilateral meetingsRead moreLukashenko delivers remarks on drawing Belarus into conflict, kids targeted near BryanskMinsk has firmly established that the drone which struck the bus carrying Belarusian children in the Bryansk Region was of Ukrainian originRead moreTwo people die as small plane crashes in Moscow RegionThe source said the crash occurred at the Vikhrevo airfield, where there were no casualtiesRead morePilot error seen as likely cause of light aircraft crash near MoscowRussia’s Federal Air Transport Agency classified the incident as an air catastropheRead moreTrump questions decision to sideline Russia from G8The US president repeatedly criticized this association being reduced to "seven"Read moreUkraine is provoking Belarus, trying to draw it into conflict — Officers of RussiaAccording to the statement, the Kiev regime is acting immorally within the conflict and is completely unbound by human notions of good and evil, which is why it is targeting children Read moreMoscow appreciates Malaysia’s support of Russia's partnership with ASEAN, Putin saysThe Russian president added that he was pleased to welcome the Malaysian delegation to Russia to participate in the summitRead moreIran divides countries into three categories based on use of Strait of Hormuz — TVAccording to the TV channel, all states are divided into three categories — "hostile," "neutral," and "friendly"Read moreRussian security official calls for proactively exposing color revolution threatsSergey Shoigu pointed out that ensuring sovereignty and internal stability in Russia and its friendly countries requires systematic monitoring of the dynamics of such challenges and a timely development of responsesRead moreLebanon’s death toll from Israeli strikes reaches 3,884 Health MinistryRescuers continue to clear rubble in some areas, so the number of dead and injured may riseRead moreWhat we know about incident with Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich in English ChannelThe crew of the frigate Amdiral Grigorovich acted in strict accordance with international shipping regulations and took every measure to prevent a collision, the Russian Defense Ministry stressedRead moreSituation around Iran remains far from resolved — Russian academicKirill Babayev expressed confidence that, under these circumstances, "Russia remains a reliable long-term supplier capable of providing both oil and liquefied natural gas to Southeast Asian countries"Read morePutin welcomes heads of delegations at Russia-ASEAN summit receptionThe event officially marked the opening of the anniversary summitRead moreIran calls on Saudi Arabia to ‘eject’ US troops from regionIran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed that Iran respects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and considers it a brotherly nationRead moreAir defenses shoot down another seven drones flying toward MoscowEmergency personnel are working at the sites where debris came downRead moreUS military aircraft struck by Iran makes it to Kuwait — TVIran also fired at two US UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters conducting a search and rescue operationRead morePersian Gulf countries running out of interceptor missiles - BloombergIran has fired almost 1,200 ballistic missiles and 4,000 Shahed drones at the Gulf states since the start of the warRead moreMinsk expects response from Kiev regarding attack on bus carrying children — LukashenkoThe Belarusian leader emphasized that Minsk would determine the truthRead moreTrump mulls licenced production of US missiles in Europe — agencyAccording to the news agency, the US has burned through its stocks during the Iran conflict and it will take time to boost productionRead moreIran, US to hold talks on June 19 in Switzerland — news agencyThe US and Iran, along with mediators Pakistan and Qatar and other involved countries will meet at BurgenstockRead moreTrump tells Israel to use 'softer touch' in Lebanon, suggests Syria could target HezbollahThe US leader also claimed that al-Sharaa is ready to conduct military operations against HezbollahRead moreRussia-ASEAN forum forms foundation of close cooperation — RoscongressRepresentatives from 17 countries took part in the business forum programRead moreUkrainian army carries out 18 attacks on DPR in past day, leaves four civilians injuredThe Ukrainian attacks damaged ten infrastructure facilities and several motor vehiclesRead moreRussia’s latest Starlink satellite jammer shows high efficiency — expertThe Volna Kupol Garant electronic warfare system does not switch off Starlink communications as such but instead ‘stuns’ a particular satellite for the duration of its flight over the area of the system’s operationRead moreIran to hit more targets if US attacks Kharg Island — ambassadorTehran’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe Amir Hossein Hosseini also expressed hope that the conflict would be resolved diplomaticallyRead morePutin meets with leader of Philippines in KazanThe Philippines heads the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2026Read moreUS, Iran to hold official signing ceremony for memorandum in Switzerland — TV channelUS Vice President JD Vance will take part in the official ceremonyRead moreVessel comes under attack off Yemeni coast — UKMTOVessels in the area were advised to transit with cautionRead moreIN BRIEF: What we know about consequences of Ukrainian attack on bus carrying childrenAccording to the latest information, a woman chaperone for the team diedRead moreTwo US nuclear submarines ‘closer to Russia,’ Trump says"We always want to be ready", US president addedRead morePezeshkian asks global community to judge which side, Iran or US, actually favors dialogueIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian invited the world to judge which side engages in terrorismRead moreRussian-Turkish relations on the rise — PutinAccording to the Russian president, the contacts between both countries have long stopped being purely formalRead moreTrump signs US-Iran memorandum, White House confirmsA photo of the signed document was sent to the Iranians and the mediator countriesRead morePutin receives Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan FidanAs Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said earlier, Hakan Fidan asked for a meeting with the Russian leader, and his request was grantedRead moreTrump says Iran has 48 hours to make deal or open straitTime is running out: 48 hours remain before all hell rains down on them, US President saidRead moreRussia-ASEAN summit gathered global majority, unlike G7 summit in France — expertKirill Babayev emphasized that the global majority advocates for a multipolar world, recognizing that the majority of the global GDP and technological innovation now stems from Asian nationsRead moreTrump declines to elaborate on possible expansion of weapons supplies to UkraineDonald Trump also opined that Kiev was doing well on the battlefieldRead moreItalian PM proposes appointing single envoy for talks with Moscow — mediaGiorgia Meloni argued that the negotiator should come from a “medium-sized” European country rather than one of the bloc’s largest member statesRead moreAnother strike hits area near Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in IranOne of the facility’s security guards was killed, Iran’s AEOI saidRead moreNATO to modernize its nuclear capabilities to strengthen deterrenceAccording to the document, the alliance intends to actively utilize the practice of shared use, whereby non-nuclear NATO members receive potential nuclear delivery systems, such as F-16 and F-35 aircraft, and receive training in their useRead moreTrump confirms signing of US-Iran memorandumThe US leader signed it during a dinner with French President Emmanuel MacronRead moreKiev evacuates almost all civilian organizations from Kramatorsk — expertThe evacuation of civilians is currently underwayRead moreRussian forces successfully advance near Belitskoye under Rodinskoye in DPR — expertAccording to Andrey Marochko, Russian troops will continue to advance in this sectorRead moreKiev's actions do not facilitate contacts between Putin and Zelensky — Kremlin aideYury Ushakov responded to a question whether Russia remains committed to negotiations, given all of Kiev's actions, including the attack on the bus carrying children and the attacks on MoscowRead moreUS president threatens strikes on Iran’s energy, civilian infrastructureDonald Trump called on Iranian leaders to open the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that otherwise the country "will be living in hellRead moreTrump denies reports on $300 bln fund as part of deal with IranThe US president said that it was a false storyRead more