US set to cut security funds for European allies along Russian border

By Natalia Drozdiak

 

The US is planning to cut funding for programs meant to help train and equip the armies of European countries that border Russia, as the Trump administration pushes the region to shoulder more of the defense burden.

 

The Defense Department notified European officials about the decision to suspend assistance under Section 333 of the National Defense Authorization Act, according to two people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified.

 

The move may result in shaving off hundreds of millions of dollars worth of financial support for equipment and weapons training for armies across Europe but would hit one programme, the Baltic Security Initiative, especially hard. One of the people said affected nations didn’t expect the change to have a critical impact but said they might take longer to get some weapons they need. 

 

A spokesperson for the Defense Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The Financial Times and Washington Post reported the move earlier Thursday. 

 

A White House official said that the action is in line with President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to reevaluate US foreign aid and his focus on having Europe take more responsibility for its defense.

 

In their briefing to their European counterparts, Pentagon officials encouraged other European nations to step in to plug the funding gap, the people familiar with the matter said. The Pentagon cited its shifting priorities to focus on the Indo-Pacific, they said.

 

Nato allies agreed to an ambitious new spending goal this summer to allocate at least 5 per cent of GDP toward defense. That could help compensate for any withdrawal of US funding, but many European countries are still years away from hitting the target. 

 

It’s also unclear to what extent the phase-out plans need approval by Congress. Republicans in the House and Senate have typically been supportive of the US military programs in Europe to bolster allies’ defense and deter an attack by President Vladimir Putin’s forces in the wake of his invasion of Ukraine. 

 

“This is a misguided move that sends exactly the wrong signal as we try to force Putin to the negotiating table and deter Russian aggression,” SeNator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement. “There is widespread bipartisan support for use of this authority in Europe.”

 

In its budget request for fiscal year 2026, the Defense Department sought $1.23 billion for an account that includes efforts to boost partner militaries. That’s a reduction of $130 million from the amount spent on the account in fiscal year 2025.

 

According to budget documents, the realignment is consistent with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s focus on deterring China, reducing smuggling along the US southern border, protecting deployed US troops and expecting allies to assume greater responsibility for the security of their regions.

 

The Pentagon’s plans also appear to be at odds with Trump’s comments on Wednesday that the US could increase its troop presence in Poland. “We’ll put more there, if they want,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki. 

 

The Defense Department is currently reviewing its global military posture that is likely to result in some reductions in the US troop presence in Europe.