INTERNACIONAL
As Trump forces NATO to pay up, alliance races to close military gap with US
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This is part one of a series examining the challenges confronting the NATO alliance.
NATO has become a «bloated architecture» too dependent on American military power, former senior national security advisor Keith Kellogg told Fox News Digital.
As President Donald Trump pressures NATO allies to spend more on defense — ordering the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany and signaling possible cuts in Spain and Italy — a deeper concern is emerging inside the alliance: despite years of rising European defense budgets, NATO still depends heavily on American military power, from missile defense and intelligence to logistics and nuclear deterrence.
The growing gap between political commitments and real military capability is now fueling calls for structural changes inside the alliance as NATO confronts mounting threats from Russia and instability in the Middle East.
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NATO’s imbalance is not theoretical — and it is not new, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg told Fox News Digital, «I told the president… maybe you ought to talk about a tiered relationship with NATO,» Kellogg described conversations with Trump in his first term about the alliance’s future. «…we need to develop a new, for lack of a better term, a new NATO a new defensive alignment with Europe.»
Kellogg added the alliance has expanded politically but not militarily — creating what he sees as a growing gap between commitments and real capability.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, President Donald Trump and Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer pose during the NATO Heads of State and Government summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, 2025. (Ben Stansall/Pool/Reuters)
«You started with 12, and you went to 32, and in the process, I think you diluted the impact,» he argued, calling today’s NATO «a very bloated architecture.»
«They haven’t put the money into defense. Their defense industry and defense forces have atrophied. When you look at the Brits right now, they could barely deploy forces: they have two aircraft carriers, both under maintenance. Their brigades are like one out of six that work. And you just look at the capability, it’s just not there. So I think we need to realize that and say, well, we need something different,» Kellogg, who is the co-chair of the Center for American Security at the America First Foreign Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital.
But not everyone agrees the alliance is losing relevance.
«It has never been more relevant,» said John R. Deni, a research professor at the U.S. Army War College, who says NATO remains central to U.S. national security.
«The reason for that is twofold,» he said. «One, it’s our comparative advantage versus the Chinese and the Russians… they don’t have anything like this.»
«And the second reason… NATO underwrites the security and stability of our most important trade and investment relationship,» he added, referring to economic ties between North America and Europe.
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NATO chiefs of defense hold a meeting in Brussels on Aug. 20, 2025, with screens displaying allied leaders joining remotely to discuss Ukraine. (Fox News)
Dependence: Design or Weakness?
By around 2010, the United States accounted for roughly 65% to 70% of NATO defense spending, according to analysis provided by Barak Seener from the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank.
«They’ve always been dependent on the U.S.,» Kellogg said of the European allies.
«The allies overall rely upon one another for deterrence and defense by design,» Deni said, explaining that alliances exist to «pool their resources» and «aggregate their individual strengths.»
Deni pointed to ground forces as a clear example of what the U.S. gains from the alliance, noting that «there are far more allied mechanized infantry forces on the ground than there are Americans.»
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Still, he acknowledged that reliance has at times gone too far.
«In the past… it was fair to say that the European allies were overly reliant upon the Americans for conventional defense,» he said, pointing to the 2000s.
That, he said, was partly driven by U.S. priorities — as Washington pushed European allies to focus on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq rather than territorial defense.
A Polish Army soldier sits in a tank as a NATO flag flies behind during the NATO Noble Jump VJTF exercises on June 18, 2015, in Zagan, Poland. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Seener describes NATO as «formally collective, but functionally asymmetric,» with the U.S. providing a disproportionate share of «high-end capabilities.»
That asymmetry is most visible in nuclear deterrence.
Seener said the U.S. provides the overwhelming majority of NATO’s nuclear arsenal — including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched systems and strategic bombers — meaning deterrence ultimately relies on the assumption of U.S. retaliation.
A NATO official told Fox News Digital that, «The U.S. nuclear deterrent cannot be replaced, but it is clear that Europe needs to step up. There’s no question. There needs to be a better balance when it comes to our defense and security. Both because we see the vital role the U.S. plays around the world and the resources that it demands, and also because it is only fair.»
«The good news,» the official added, «is that the Allies are doing exactly that. They are stepping up, working together — and with the U.S. — to ensure we collectively have what we need to deter and defend one billion people living across the Euro-Atlantic area.»
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Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters of the U.S. Army 12th Combat Aviation Brigade fly over a Lithuanian Vilkas infantry fighting vehicle during the Allied Spirit 25 military exercise near Hohenfels, Germany, on March 12, 2025.
The Systems NATO Cannot Replace
Beyond nuclear weapons, the dependence runs through the alliance’s operational backbone.
Seener pointed to U.S.-provided intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance — as well as logistics and command systems — as essential to NATO operations.
«Without U.S. intelligence and surveillance, NATO loses situational awareness and early warning capabilities,» Seener said, adding, «So that means that Russia, for example, can attack Europe. And theoretically, if there’s no NATO and the U.S. is not involved, Europe would not be aware, or it would take it too long to be able to defend itself.»
Kellogg also says that much of Europe’s military capability falls short of top-tier systems.
«For the most part, their equipment, if you had to grade it A, B, C, D, E, F, they’re kind of like B players or C players,» he said. «It’s not the first line of work.»
He pointed to air and missile defense as a key gap, noting that while European countries rely on U.S.-made systems such as Patriot and THAAD, «they don’t have a system that’s comparable.»
Kellogg attributed that to years of underinvestment, saying European defense industries «have atrophied,» adding that the United States is also now «relearning that as well.»
TRUMP AFFIRMS US ‘WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR NATO,’ WHILE EXPRESSING DOUBTS ABOUT ALLIANCE
President Donald Trump and Poland’s President Andrzej Duda talk during a working lunch at the NATO leaders summit in Watford, Britain, on Dec. 4, 2019. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
Deni said the picture today is more mixed.
«Alliance defense spending has been up… and has spiked far more after 2022,» he said, pointing to Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 as a turning point.
But he cautioned that capability gains take time, noting that many improvements are still years away from full deployment.
Deni pointed to recent European purchases of U.S. systems as evidence of growing capability, noting that countries including Poland, Romania, Norway and Denmark are acquiring the F-35 fighter jet from the U.S.
«You can’t build an F-35 overnight,» he said, adding that many of these improvements will take years to fully materialize.
A NATO official told Fox News Digital the alliance «needs to move further and faster» to meet growing threats, pointing to new capability targets agreed by defense ministers in June 2025.
Keith Kellogg speaks during the Warsaw Security Forum on Sept. 30, 2025, in Poland. (Marek Antoni Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The official said priorities include air and missile defense, long-range weapons, logistics and large land forces, noting that while details remain classified, plans call for a fivefold increase in air and missile defense, «thousands more» armored vehicles and tanks, and «millions more» artillery shells. NATO also aims to double key enabling capabilities such as logistics, transportation and medical support.
The official added that allies are increasing investments in warships, aircraft, drones, long-range missiles, as well as space and cyber capabilities, while boosting readiness and modernizing command and control.
«These targets are now included in national plans,» the official said, adding that allies must demonstrate how they will meet them through sustained defense spending and capability development.
The NATO official also noted that European allies lead multinational forces across Central and Eastern Europe, while the U.S. and Canada serve as framework nations in Poland and Latvia, alongside ongoing air policing missions and NATO’s KFOR operation in Kosovo.
A Swedish Air Force JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft takes off from southern Sweden on April 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Scanpix/Patric Soderstrom, File)
What happens if the U.S. is stretched?
Kellogg’s warning is direct: NATO’s deterrence depends on U.S. presence.
«The one you always have to worry about… is Russia,» Kellogg, who was Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia in 2025, said.
If U.S. forces are tied down elsewhere, NATO could face serious strain — particularly in areas like intelligence and logistics.
For Kellogg, the danger is delay. «We won’t know until it happens,» he said. «And then you won’t be able to respond to it.»
Deni, however, said the alliance remains a strategic asset — not a liability.
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A NATO military force stands guard outside the World Forum in The Hague ahead of the two-day NATO summit on June 22, 2025. (Remko de Waal/ANP/AFP)
The question, he suggests, is not whether NATO still works. It is whether allies can adapt fast enough to keep it working.
nato, defense, national security, alliances, spending
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Graham Platner’s political collapse did more than derail a scandal-plagued Senate campaign in Maine. It also completed Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman’s public transformation from a Bernie Sanders-backed progressive populist to one of the left’s most aggressive internal critics.
Fetterman was among the first prominent Democrats to call out Platner’s mounting controversies, even as many party leaders continued backing the scandal-plagued candidate until a former girlfriend publicly accused Platner of rape, an allegation he denies. The accusation prompted the remaining pillars of Democratic support to collapse.
By Wednesday night, Fetterman laid into his onetime political ally Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in an interview with Fox News’ Charles Hurt on «Jesse Watters Primetime.»
«The trash took itself out,» Fetterman said of Platner’s withdrawal, as Hurt asked who should be held most responsible for the Platner chaos.
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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., center, watches Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., right, speak from a podium in front of Sen. Jeffrey Merkley, D-Ore., left. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
«Absolutely, Bernie Sanders needs to apologize to the voters of Maine and to everyone that donated to that train wreck of a campaign,» Fetterman said.
Sanders ultimately called on Platner to end his candidacy after the allegation surfaced, but Fetterman argued the Vermont progressive owed voters an apology for helping elevate him in the first place.
«More than anyone, he pushed ‘P. Hustle’ into the election. And now he keeps pushing these Communists and these kinds of awful, anti-American people.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders, Fetterman and Platner’s campaign for comment.
JOHN FETTERMAN’S FALL FROM HERO TO HERETIC EXPOSES DEMOCRATS’ HARD LEFT TURN
Graham Platner, Democratic US Senate candidate for Maine, during a primary election night event at the Blue Hill YMCA in Blue Hill, Maine, US, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Progressive Democrat Graham Platner won the party’s Senate primary in Maine after a bruising campaign which became as much about his accusations of past misbehavior as it was voters’ top concerns. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The comments cap a remarkable political evolution for Fetterman, who recently acknowledged he is more popular with some Republicans than his own party.
«For some strange [reason], I am more popular with Republicans, which is confusing because I vote in the 90-[percentile] Dem-line,» Fetterman told NewsNation in March, adding that he supports Israel and President Donald Trump’s «Operation: Epic Fury» against Iran.
Chris Borick, a professor at Lehigh University and former president of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, called Fetterman’s change in relationship with Sanders and the Democrats’ progressive wing «dramatic.»
«As someone that follows Pennsylvania politics, I can’t find anything even close in comparison to the shifts that we’ve seen in Fetterman’s positions on an array of matters over a short period of time,» Borick said. «We’ve seen people switch parties, like Arlen Specter… but in terms of a quick departure on the most significant levels, Fetterman’s changes are without precedent in the state.»
Fetterman’s break with the left has not been limited to Sanders-world. In Pennsylvania, his increasingly independent posture has also put distance between him and parts of the state Democratic establishment, including breaking some partisan norms.
State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg, who served in the Pennsylvania Senate while Fetterman was lieutenant governor and presided over the chamber, said the Democrat had «political differences» with him but was typically «gracious and respectful.»
He spoke of an interaction on the Harrisburg Senate floor when Fetterman learned Mastriano accrued a record number of ballot signatures to qualify to run for governor against then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
«Senator Fetterman came down from the rostrum, congratulated me, and said, ‘Doug, 30,000. That’s really impressive. Great job.’ It wasn’t something he had to do,» Mastriano told Fox News Digital.
«I can’t speak for Sen. Fetterman’s political evolution — that’s something only he can explain. But I do respect anyone who is willing to speak their mind, think independently, and put what they believe to be America’s interests first, even when doing so may not be popular within their own party,» said Mastriano, who said Fetterman appears to be «put[ting] Pennsylvania ahead of politics.»
Fetterman recently upstaged his home state’s Democratic standard-bearer, Gov. Josh Shapiro, by teaming up with Republican Sen. David McCormick to help secure a booth on the National Mall for the Great American State Fair after the governor’s office said there was too little time and too little vendor interest to assemble one.
Shapiro’s predecessor, Gov. Tom Wolf, with whom Fetterman served as lieutenant governor during Wolf’s second term, also appeared to have no love lost for his party’s new maverick.
«I have thoughts, but I don’t have to share them anymore,» Wolf, who has largely retired from public life, said in March of Fetterman’s job performance.
When the two were in office in Harrisburg, Fetterman was closely aligned with Sanders and rode a wave of progressive populism to the lieutenant governor’s office — which is a separate primary-ballot line from the governorship.
Sam Chen, a Pennsylvania political analyst and chief strategist at the Allentown-based Liddell Group, told Fox News Digital that Fetterman’s evolution from Sanders ally to critic is a significant one while questioning whether the Democratic Party’s political environment helped cause the break.
«Fetterman was really helped by Sanders — even in Fetterman’s first Senate run … and then against who we really thought was probably the frontrunner in Conor Lamb.»
«Sanders really helped put Fetterman on the map and helped get him over the top,» Chen said, calling the senator’s recent condemnation of Sanders his «biggest break» with the progressive wing.
However, Chen questioned whether Fetterman’s break with Sanders over Platner was less about policy than about judgment, character and candidate quality.
«I wonder if Fetterman would have had this position if Platner had all his policy views that he has now but there was no Totenkopf tattoo or allegations from women.»
During his 2018 lieutenant governor campaign, Fetterman touted Sanders’ endorsement as proof of his progressive bona fides, describing the Vermont senator as one of the few national politicians who had the «little guy’s» back. Fetterman was then still mayor of postindustrial Braddock, a working-class suburb outside Pittsburgh, but his populist profile was already drawing national attention.
Sanders in turn came to Pennsylvania to endorse Fetterman: «What John’s campaign is about … is that we are going to transform this country and create a government that works for all of us, not just wealthy campaign contributors,» he said, according to PBS’ Philadelphia affiliate.
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Sen. John Fetterman heads to a lunch meeting with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 15, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Since his election to the Senate, Pennsylvania Democratic groups, including the Monroe County Democratic Party in the Poconos, have branded him a «traitor,» while Punchbowl described his current political standing as «tenuous» and reported that no member of the Keystone State’s House delegation would confirm support for a 2028 reelection bid.
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«Squad» member Rep. Summer Lee, who represents Fetterman’s hometown and is more ideologically aligned with Sanders, told the outlet the increasingly isolated senator would run «at his own peril.»
Chen said Fetterman’s progressive «bona fides» remain, noting he still is reliably liberal on LGBTQ rights, marijuana and abortion — adding that as mayor or lieutenant governor, foreign policy positions were a nonfactor. Still, he argued, the fight over Platner shows how far Fetterman has moved from the progressive coalition that launched him into national politics.
john fetterman, bernie sanders, graham platner, elections, maine, democrats senate, socialism
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Hegseth steps in to ‘fix’ situation after Apache pilots suspended for ‘Salute from the Shores’ flyover
Military flyover, Parade of Sail mark America’s 250th birthday in New York City
New York City hosts a spectacular military flyover and parade of tall ships up the Hudson River for America’s 250th birthday. The event features a reenlistment ceremony on the USS Nimitz, which is preparing for retirement after 51 years of service. Various military aircraft, including Black Hawks and A-4 Skyhawks, perform precision flyovers, showcasing the nation’s military might and celebrating its rich history.
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stepped in quickly after reports that the pilots of eight Apache helicopters were suspended following a low-altitude flyover during South Carolina’s «Salute from the Shores» event celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
Video of the Apache helicopters conducting a low-altitude flyover as beachgoers cheered and waved flags quickly went viral. However, Fox affiliate Fox Carolina reported Thursday that after the pilots landed, they were informed they had been suspended pending an investigation.
Their suspension did not last long. Shortly after news broke of the suspension, Hegseth posted on X, «We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots.»
Early the next morning, Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman and senior advisor to Hegseth, announced that «effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted.» Echoing Hegseth, he added, «Carry on Patriots.»
HEGSETH SAYS PENTAGON WILL REVIEW MARK KELLY’S PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT CLASSIFIED BRIEFING AMID ONGOING FEUD
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth quickly stepped in to «fix» the situation after it was reported that eight National Guard pilots had been suspended following their participation in a low-level flyover at a South Carolina «Salute from the Shore» event on July 4th. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images; ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Fox Carolina reported on Thursday that South Carolina National Guard spokesperson Maj. Lisa Alle clarified the suspension was intended to be temporary and that the pilots remained in good standing with the military.
Alle emphasized to the outlet, «We want to assure the community that a temporary suspension from flight duties is a routine administrative measure whenever a flight profile is under review. This is not punitive.»
While suspended, the pilots were continuing to work and getting paid.
Despite this, the pilots’ suspension outraged many online who expressed anger that they would be under review for participating in a patriotic event.
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A flight of U.S. Army helicopters flies past the Washington Monument and over the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, July 3, 2026. (Andrew Leyden/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Conservative influencer Matt Van Swol posted on X, «WHAT ON EARTH??!!!! The National Guard has just SUSPENDED all 8 pilots of the Apache helicopters that flew on the ‘Salute to the Shore’ flyover across the South Carolina coast. No reason has been given for their suspension. A source says as soon as the pilots landed, they got a message saying they were suspended pending an investigation.»
Another popular influencer who goes by the username Jammles9 reacted, «Are you kidding me?? This was incredible!!»
Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., wrote, «Leave it to a beach Karen to make a frivolous complaint about the most EPIC flyover ever on Independence Day. Newsflash— we LOVED the flyovers!!!»
The congressman added, «These heroes deserve to be CELEBRATED, not chastised. We stand with each of the Apache pilots!»
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Attendees watch the Independence Day fireworks display along the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)
In a statement shared with Fox News Digital Friday morning, the South Carolina National Guard confirmed the state adjutant general had lifted the administrative suspension of the eight pilots.
The statement referred to the pilots as «.experienced aviators» and noted that returning them to flight status «ensures that the South Carolina National Guard maintains its peak operational readiness and remains fully postured to support both state and federal missions.»
«The South Carolina National Guard’s 59th Aviation Troop Command is an exceptional helicopter unit, renowned throughout the Army and the National Guard for its unwavering commitment to excellence and Soldier safety,» the statement read. «As is the hallmark of any professional organization, the 59th Aviation Troop Command continuously self-examines and critically evaluates its training and operations to ensure that the highest levels of professionalism and safety are maintained.
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«The subject events of July 4th are no exception, as our pilots remain deeply committed to excellence and the highest standards of safety,» the South Carolina National Guard continued, adding, «The South Carolina National Guard appreciates the outpouring of concern and support from our community and state leaders. Go Guard!»
Praise poured in for Hegseth after the decision, with Mike Davis, a former Capitol Hill staffer, posting, «This is why I love Pete.»
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Swol commented, «Really appreciate @PeteHegseth lifting this suspension. My wife and I were on that beach and we watched the flyover with my son… it was absolutely epic. This right here is why I love Pete Hegseth. Thank you @SecWar.»
pete hegseth, national guard, south carolina, military, defense, military tech, america 250
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