The United States is increasing pressure on its allies within NATO to redefine the Alliance’s role. According to Politico, Washington views NATO as a strictly Euro-Atlantic defense alliance, with no missions beyond its area of responsibility and no ambitions for global expansion.
The United States against NATO missions in Iraq and Kosovo
The United States is pushing to scale back several Alliance operations, particularly in Iraq. According to two NATO diplomats cited by Politico, Washington has requested that the NATO mission in Iraq end by September 2026. The operation was launched in 2018 during the first presidential term of Donald Trump and later expanded at Baghdad’s request. Its objectives included training Iraqi security forces and countering the Islamic State.
The American position is now clear: NATO should not engage in external stabilization projects. Washington sees the Alliance as a collective defense mechanism, not as a tool for global crisis management.
The United States has also reportedly signaled its intention to reduce the KFOR mission in Kosovo, which has been in place since 1999 under a UN mandate. Approximately 4,500 troops are currently deployed in the region.
Within the Alliance, these prospects are raising concerns. A senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, Angelushe Morina, stated that the mission remains “indispensable” for security in the Western Balkans. A NATO diplomat acknowledged that the situation in the region could quickly deteriorate.
An official NATO spokesperson told Politico that no specific timeline has been set for ending the missions, as they are “adjusted according to circumstances.” Any decision to launch or terminate an operation requires the approval of all 32 member states.
The United States opposed to Ukraine’s participation in the NATO summit
According to Politico, Washington is also insisting that Ukraine not be invited to the NATO summit scheduled for July in Ankara. A similar stance reportedly applies to the Alliance’s Indo-Pacific partners: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea. Their participation could be limited to side events.
Internally, this approach is described as a “return to factory settings,” meaning a reduction of activities that go beyond the core mission of defending member states. Some allies oppose this view, arguing that partnerships are essential to strengthening deterrence and collective security.
“NATO 3.0” and a new division of responsibilities
At a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels, Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby called for the creation of “NATO 3.0.” In his view, European countries must assume primary responsibility for defending the continent.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that it is “time” for Europeans to take on greater commitments.
In practice, the United States is proposing a return to the Alliance’s original formula: protecting the territory of member states without ambitions for global presence. This strategic shift marks a move from a “global NATO” toward a more traditional defense bloc reminiscent of the Cold War era.
