US authorities want Europe to take over most of the defense capabilities by 2027 NATO : from intelligence to missiles.

As it says Reuters citing sources, Pentagon representatives said this at a meeting with several European delegations."Shifting this burden from the US to European members would radically change how Washington cooperates with its most important military partners," the publication wrote.

Journalists noted that at the meeting, Pentagon representatives stated that Washington is not yet satisfied with Europe's successes in building its defense capabilities.

What Washington demands

American officials have threatened that if Europe fails to meet the 2027 deadline, the United States could end participation in some NATO defense mechanisms, sources said.

At the same time, they did not explain how the United States would assess Europe's progress in assuming more responsibility.

"It is also unclear whether the 2027 deadline reflects the White House's position or just the opinion of some Pentagon officials," the publication wrote, emphasizing that there are serious disagreements in Washington over the US military role in Europe.

Europe's reaction and problems

Several European officials have said the 2027 deadline is unrealistic, regardless of how Washington assesses progress, because Europe needs more than just money and political will to quickly replace some of the American forces and assets.

In particular, as the publication noted, European NATO members are facing the problem of delays in the production of military equipment.

It is noted that although US officials have urged Europe to buy more American weapons and equipment, some of the most valuable samples would be delivered in a few years if ordered today.

The US also provides capabilities that cannot simply be bought, such as unique intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data that have proven to be key in Ukraine's military operations.

What NATO says

An alliance representative told the publication that European allies have already begun to take on more responsibility for the continent's security, but did not comment in any way on the 2027 deadline.

"Allies have realized the need to increase defense investment and shift the burden of conventional weapons from the United States to Europe," the official said.

Trump and European NATO members

European countries have generally accepted US President Donald Trump's demand to take greater responsibility for their security and have promised significantly increase defense spending .

The European Union has set itself the goal of preparing for self-defense by 2030. EU authorities have recognized that they must address gaps in their air defense system, drones, cyberwarfare capabilities, and ammunition.

The Trump administration has consistently stated the need to increase the contribution of European allies to NATO.

During the election campaign in the fall of 2024, Trump often criticized European allies, and already in June of this year, at the NATO leaders' summit, he enthusiastically praised Europeans for agreeing to the US plan to increase annual defense spending of member states to 5% of GDP.