Europe Must Lead Its Own Defense, U.S. Official Tells NATO Allies

Europe must be prepared to defend itself in an increasingly militarized world, even as the United States remains committed to NATO, U.S. Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby said during a meeting of NATO defense ministers on Thursday.

Warning of Multi-Theater Threats

Speaking on behalf of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Colby cautioned that NATO faces a new strategic reality in which adversaries could launch attacks in multiple regions at the same time. He said the alliance must be ready for coordinated or opportunistic strikes across different theaters, stretching allied military resources.

According to Colby, this risk is precisely why European members should take “primary responsibility” for defending their own territory, as U.S. forces are increasingly focused on other global priorities.

U.S. Priorities and NATO’s Role

Colby said the United States, under U.S. President Donald Trump, is prioritizing the defense of the U.S. homeland and its interests in the Western Hemisphere. He stressed, however, that this shift does not mean Washington is stepping away from NATO.

“This is not an abandonment of NATO,” Colby said, describing the approach instead as a reaffirmation of the alliance’s original purpose.

His remarks came amid concerns among allies following the absence of the U.S. defense secretary from the Brussels meeting, though NATO officials have sought to downplay any suggestion of reduced American commitment.

Return to a Harder Deterrence Model

Colby argued that the post–Cold War assumptions that shaped NATO’s force posture are no longer valid. He said global politics has re-entered an era defined by power competition and large-scale military force.

Recalling NATO’s founding in 1949, Colby said the alliance was originally built on a “clear-eyed” approach to deterrence, with all members expected to carry their share of the burden. That discipline, he said, weakened after the Cold War as NATO shifted its focus to missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Call for ‘NATO 3.0’

Colby said the alliance must now evolve into what he called “NATO 3.0,” a model closer to its original mission of collective territorial defense. This would require significantly greater European investment in conventional military capabilities.

The warning echoes concerns previously raised by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who has noted the possibility of a crisis over Taiwan drawing in U.S. forces while Russia simultaneously tests NATO’s collective defense commitments in Europe.

Such a scenario, Colby suggested, would leave Europe and Canada facing immediate security challenges with only limited U.S. support, underscoring the need for stronger European defense leadership.