This is part six of a series examining the challenges confronting the NATO alliance.

As President Donald Trump presses NATO allies to shoulder more of Europe’s defense burden, countries closest to Russia are moving fastest — while some of Western Europe’s biggest economies face growing pressure to catch up. 

Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former deputy director for strategy, policy and plans at U.S. European Command, said the shift is already visible across the alliance.

«Europe is clearly stepping up, but they’re stepping up by geographic variation,» Montgomery told Fox News Digital.

«If you ask me who’s doing the most, the Eastern Europeans are clearly.»

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Montgomery pointed to the Baltic states, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria as countries moving aggressively to strengthen deterrence against Russia.

His assessment comes as NATO allies work toward a new defense spending benchmark agreed at the 2025 summit in The Hague, which calls on members to invest 5% of GDP in defense and security-related spending by 2035, including 3.5% for core defense requirements and 1.5% for defense-related infrastructure and security investments.

John Deni, a research professor at the U.S. Army War College, said the trend shouldn’t be surprising. 

«Given the threat of Russia, allies in the East are acquiring capabilities more quickly, and they’re spending even more than allies in the West,» Deni told Fox News Digital. «This shouldn’t surprise us because they’re the ones closest to the threat.»

Deni noted that many eastern allies are rapidly purchasing equipment already available on the market rather than waiting years for domestic defense programs to mature.

UK, GERMAN DEFENSE OFFICIALS DEFEND MILITARY BUILDUP UNDER RUSSIAN THREATS

President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte attend the start of a NATO leaders summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025. (Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters)

The transformation is visible across NATO’s eastern and northern flanks. Poland has become one of the alliance’s largest military spenders, Romania is increasing defense investments, and Finland and Sweden have added advanced military capabilities to NATO following their accession.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Finland and Sweden Thursday at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, using them as examples of allies strengthening the alliance.

«Sweden and Finland have actually contributed because they brought their own defense industry, their own advanced technology,» Rubio said. «They have been great partners.» 

Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Ţoiu echoed that message in an interview with Fox News Digital following an emergency U.N. Security Council session convened after a Russian drone strike injured civilians in the Romanian city of Galați.

«We do agree with President Trump on the need to increase budgets,» Ţoiu said.

Ţoiu said Romania raised defense spending to 2% of GDP during Trump’s previous term and plans to allocate «an average of 3.4 percent» next year through military procurement and strategic infrastructure investments.

POLAND SEEKS ANSWERS AFTER PENTAGON SCRAPS PLANNED US ARMORED BRIGADE ROTATION

«Europe is clearly stepping up, but they’re stepping up by geographic variation,» Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery told Fox News Digital. (Omar Sobhani/Reuters)

«We have launched initiatives that are directed at the eastern flank because it is increasingly more clear that that needs to be protected,» she said.

She argued that Romania’s role extends beyond national defense.

«We need better deterrence, better defense capabilities there in order to ensure our responsibility in protecting not just the Romanian border, which is the longest border to the war, but also it is in the same time a European border and the border of the Allied territory,» Ţoiu said.

For frontline states, the urgency is driven by geography as much as politics. Romania shares a border with Ukraine and repeatedly has dealt with Russian drones entering its airspace. Poland has become one of NATO’s top military spenders, while the Baltic states are racing toward defense expenditures approaching 5% of GDP.

Montgomery said the eastern flank’s urgency contrasts sharply with the pace in much of Western Europe.

Among the continent’s five largest economies, and despite a slight decrease in military spending in 2025, the U.K. remains the largest investor relative to GDP, with 2.4%, trailed by Germany (2.3%), Spain (2.1%), France (2%) and Italy (1.9%), according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

WHY NATO’S DEFENSE SPENDING IMBALANCE LASTED FOR DECADES

Oana-Silvia Toiu, Romania’s minister for foreign affairs, speaks during an emergency Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York on June 1, 2026, after a Russian military drone entered Romanian airspace and exploded, injuring civilians. (Lev Radin/Sipa USA)

«The Germans are the one country, I think, with a large economy that is starting to make the right kind of investments.»

Germany, he argued, could become the backbone of Europe’s future defense industrial base.

«Germany developing a large, impressive defense industrial base is good for NATO, it’s good for Western security, and it’s even good for our primes,» Montgomery said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has embraced higher defense spending and backed NATO’s new spending goals, positioning Berlin as a potential hub for Europe’s future defense industrial base as allies seek to reduce long-term dependence on the United States.

But despite rising defense budgets, experts warn Europe remains heavily dependent on American military capabilities.

Barak Seener, a senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, said Europe still relies on the United States for many of the systems required to fight a modern war.

NATO CHIEF WARNS EUROPE CAN’T DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US AS TENSIONS RISE OVER GREENLAND

Despite rising defense budgets, experts warn Europe remains heavily dependent on American military capabilities.  (Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency via AP, File)

«Europe is heavily dependent on NATO for its strategic airlift and sea lift, its air-to-air refueling, its cyber capabilities, its space assets, its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance,» Seener said.

Without those capabilities, he warned, European forces would struggle to maintain situational awareness during a major conflict.

Montgomery said Europe faces three major challenges: expanding military capacity, rebuilding its defense industrial base and developing high-end support capabilities that have long been provided by the United States.

PENTAGON CUTS BRIGADE COMBAT TEAMS IN EUROPE AS TRUMP PRESSURES NATO ON SPENDING

Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery pointed to the Baltic states, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria as countries moving aggressively to strengthen deterrence against Russia.  (Kuba Stezycki/Reuters)

«When you are freeloading for 30 years, you create enormous deficits in terms of people, equipment, technology and know-how,» he said.

«The primary forces to defend Europe should be European,» he said. «The United States should provide additional forces that allow maneuver and offensive operations.»

Montgomery also criticized reported Pentagon deliberations over delaying long-range strike deployments to Germany and reconsidering future Tomahawk missile sales, arguing the systems are critical for deterring Russia.

«The goal here is not to fight Russia in the Baltics or in Poland. The idea here is we want to deter Russia from even trying to attack.»

Looking ahead, Montgomery remains optimistic about NATO’s future.

Montgomery predicted Europe will continue increasing defense spending and expanding its defense industrial base, while the alliance benefits from steadier transatlantic relations.

«I think you’ll have a U.S. president that probably doesn’t provoke the Europeans as much. You’ll have Europe that’s investing more,» he said.

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U.S. Army M1 Abrams tanks take part in the Armed Forces Day parade in Warsaw, Poland, Aug. 15, 2025.  (Artur Widak/NurPhoto)

He also predicted NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte would be remembered for helping hold the alliance together through a period of significant change.

«I think five years from now, NATO will be stronger,» he said. «And I hope we have Ukraine in there.»

El titular de la Secretaría de Seguridad, Gerzon Velásquez, informó este viernes que Honduras registra una reducción de 40 homicidios en comparación con las estadísticas correspondientes al año 2025, un resultado que atribuyó a las estrategias implementadas por las autoridades para fortalecer la seguridad ciudadana en el país.

El funcionario señaló que, pese a algunos repuntes de violencia registrados durante los últimos meses, las cifras generales reflejan una tendencia a la baja en los índices de homicidios a nivel nacional.

“Fue en marzo que tuvimos un incremento, pero los demás meses tenemos una reducción de homicidios. Queremos reducir los homicidios y crear condiciones de seguridad para que todos tengamos oportunidades”, expresó Velásquez.

No obstante, las autoridades sostienen que las operaciones policiales y militares desplegadas en los últimos meses han permitido debilitar estructuras delictivas y reducir algunos indicadores de violencia.

Velásquez también se refirió al reciente hecho violento registrado en el departamento de Colón, donde una masacre dejó varias víctimas mortales y generó preocupación en distintos sectores de la sociedad hondureña.

El funcionario calificó el crimen como lamentable y aseguró que los cuerpos de seguridad mantienen operativos intensivos para identificar y capturar a los responsables en el menor tiempo posible.

“Estamos trabajando intensamente para dar con los responsables”, manifestó.

En ese sentido, destacó que la seguridad continúa siendo una prioridad no solo para Honduras, sino también para el resto de países de Centroamérica, una región históricamente golpeada por altos índices de violencia y criminalidad.

El ministro reconoció además que una de las principales dificultades que enfrenta actualmente la institución son las limitaciones presupuestarias, las cuales, según explicó, están relacionadas con compromisos financieros heredados de administraciones anteriores.

Pese a ello, aseguró que la Secretaría de Seguridad continúa realizando esfuerzos para fortalecer las capacidades operativas de la Policía Nacional y mejorar la respuesta ante los distintos fenómenos delictivos.

Velásquez indicó que parte de las acciones impulsadas por el Gobierno incluyen la modernización de equipos, el fortalecimiento de unidades especiales y la depuración constante del personal policial.

En relación con el proceso de reestructuración de la extinta Dirección Policial Anti Maras y Pandillas Contra el Crimen Organizado (Dipampco), el funcionario explicó que actualmente se desarrolla una evaluación rigurosa del personal para garantizar que únicamente permanezcan dentro de la institución aquellos agentes que cumplan con los estándares requeridos.

“La Policía Nacional está siempre en un proceso de depuración constante”, apuntó.

Según las autoridades, este proceso busca fortalecer la transparencia, mejorar la confianza ciudadana y optimizar la capacidad de respuesta de los cuerpos policiales frente a la criminalidad organizada.

Aunque las reducciones en homicidios representan un avance importante, Honduras aún enfrenta desafíos significativos relacionados con el crimen organizado, la extorsión y la violencia en sectores urbanos y rurales.

Asimismo, señalan que será fundamental mantener estrategias sostenidas de prevención, investigación y fortalecimiento institucional para consolidar una reducción permanente en los índices delictivos.

El ministro brindó estas declaraciones durante su participación en la XXXVI Carrera Deportiva Policial, una actividad organizada por la Policía Nacional que reunió a miembros de la institución y ciudadanos en una jornada enfocada en promover el deporte, la convivencia y los hábitos saludables.

Durante el evento, las autoridades destacaron la importancia de fortalecer la relación entre la Policía y la ciudadanía como parte de las estrategias de prevención y construcción de confianza social.

La actividad también sirvió para reconocer el trabajo operativo de distintos agentes policiales y promover mensajes orientados a la paz, la integración y la prevención de la violencia en Honduras.

Florida and Texas have for years attracted Americans feeling high-tax, high-cost states with an absence of personal income tax and business-friendly policies. Now, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is betting that reducing property taxes could become the Sunshine State’s next competitive advantage.

The stakes extend well beyond Florida.

The competition for new residents translates directly to political influence, with population growth affecting everything from congressional representation to Electoral College votes.

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As Americans continue relocating to southern states in search of affordability amid a bubbling economic crisis, the latest proposal in Florida could become a test of whether low-tax states can further widen their advantage over higher-tax rivals.

Supporters argue it would strengthen Florida’s appeal to homeowners, retirees and businesses while giving it a new edge over competitors like fellow red state Texas. Critics counter that any tax savings must eventually be offset through spending cuts, higher fees or alternative revenue sources, making Florida a potential case study in both the promise and the pitfalls of aggressive tax reduction.

The governor is backing a constitutional amendment that would dramatically expand Florida’s homestead exemption, potentially lowering tax bills for millions of homeowners.

Under the proposal, Florida’s existing $50,000 homestead exemption would increase to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028. In practice, the exemption reduces the portion of a home’s value that is subject to taxation, lowering the tax bill for qualifying homeowners.

For homeowners, that could translate to meaningful tax savings. For local governments, however, it would mean collecting substantially less revenue from one of their largest funding sources.

That tension between tax relief and government funding is at the heart of the debate.

THE RED STATES RACING AHEAD IN AMERICA’S POWERFUL WEALTH BOOM — AND THE STATES FALLING BEHIND

State analysts estimate the measure could reduce local government revenue by more than $8.4 billion annually, raising questions about how cities and counties would make up the difference.

Backers say the proposal would provide relief to homeowners at a time when many Floridians are grappling with rising housing costs, insurance premiums and inflation. Critics, however, warn that property taxes help fund many of the local services residents rely on every day.

«While the idea of eliminating the property tax sounds appealing, it’s important to remember the local services those tax dollars provide,» Nicole Fox, a policy analyst with the Center for State Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation, told Fox News Digital.

«The quality of a community’s schools and roads, as well as the safety of a community, are important both for quality of life and contributing to the value of one’s home,» she added.

Fox noted that the proposal would eventually eliminate roughly 36% of homestead property taxes and argued that a reduction of that magnitude would likely require some form of replacement revenue.

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«When you are talking about 36% of homestead property taxes eventually being eliminated, there must be a plan for at least some degree of revenue replacement,» Fox said. «Currently that plan is unknown.»

Fox, who recently co-authored a Tax Foundation analysis of the Florida proposal, argued the measure could shift the tax burden onto businesses, renters and property owners who do not qualify for the homestead exemption.

«It would do so through less stable revenue sources that could alter consumer behaviors and negatively impact businesses, as well as shift the burden to those who do not qualify for the homestead exemption,» Fox said.

ONE SOUTHERN CITY YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF IS GROWING FASTER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN AMERICA

Florida’s latest property tax debate comes as the state continues to attract new residents from across the country. (Sven Hoppe/Picture Alliance/Getty Images)

Florida already has «a very competitive tax structure,» Fox added, but warned that «this drastic restructure risks significant uncertainty and economic harm.»

Whether voters ultimately embrace the proposal remains an open question. The constitutional amendment must receive support from at least 60% of voters to take effect.

If approved, supporters argue it could cement Florida’s status as one of the nation’s most attractive destinations for homeowners and businesses, potentially giving it a new advantage over competitors like Texas and South Carolina.

Population shifts, should they continue, could carry hefty political consequences in future elections as faster-growing states gain influence over who is in power in their state houses and Washington. (Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

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If critics are right, however, the proposal could become a test case for whether billions of dollars in property tax relief can be delivered without shifting costs elsewhere.

Either way, the debate unfolding in Florida is being watched closely as states compete for residents, businesses and investment in an increasingly mobile America.