U.S. Sends NATO Allies Questionnaire on Loyalty Amid European Troop Cuts

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has sent NATO allies a special questionnaire to assess their alignment with U.S. foreign policy.

Bloomberg reported this, citing a document obtained by the publication.

The document calls for an assessment of the political positions of member states in anticipation of possible cuts to the U.S. military presence in Europe.

The United States is asking its partners whether they have publicly supported U.S. foreign policy initiatives, including actions in the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere. The document also specifically asks about national restrictions on the use of military bases by U.S. forces.

A significant portion of the questionnaire focuses on defense procurement and allies’ defense spending. The United States wants to know whether countries purchase weapons from U.S. contractors and whether they have opposed “‘Made in Europe’ regulations” that restrict contracts with U.S. companies.

The document effectively ties U.S. security guarantees to the ideological and economic loyalty of its allies.

NATO allies reacted negatively to the demands, viewing them as an attempt to exert pressure and use security guarantees as leverage in exchange for political subordination.

The assessment concerns disagreements between the United States and Europe over strikes on Iran carried out without authorization, the detention of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and the EU’s protectionist policy in the defense industry. In particular, following U.S. actions in Iran, some countries, including Spain, banned the use of their bases for the attacks.

The document directly asks countries that have imposed similar restrictions on the use of bases or weapons purchases whether they are willing to reduce or fully lift such bans. The assessment is expected to result in further cuts to the U.S. military presence in Europe.

The United States has already announced plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany and redeploy other forces without replacing them. At the same time, Donald Trump promised to send an additional contingent to Poland after Karol Nawrocki was elected president.

The cuts could affect not only personnel but also U.S. military equipment intended to protect allies in the event of an attack. Strategic bombers, which European countries do not have, as well as strike drones and warships, could also be affected by the cuts.

A NATO representative confirmed that the United States is working with allies to review its military presence but declined to comment on the document itself. The Pentagon also did not provide official comment on the questionnaire that was sent.