On Wednesday, February 12th, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called for a division of labor and cooperation between European countries, with Europeans managing security in their continent, while the US focuses on countering the threat posed by China and its own border issues.
Hegseth made these remarks during the Ukraine Defense Liaison Group meeting held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on Wednesday, highlighting the real threats posed by China and the US border that prevent the US from ensuring European security.
“We are focused on the security of our own borders. We are also facing the reality of the competition from Communist China, which has the capability and intent to threaten our homeland security and core national interests in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
“The United States prioritizes containing a war with China (Communist Party) in the Pacific region while recognizing the constraints of resources, and making resource allocations to ensure that deterrence and containment are not unsuccessful,” Hegseth added.
This marked Hegseth’s first visit to NATO headquarters, where he urged Europe to “take responsibility for the routine security of the European continent.”
“We must lead the way in Europe,” he continued. “We can establish a division of labor to maximize our relative strengths in Europe and the Pacific.”
Hegseth stated on Tuesday that the US has no plans to reduce its military presence in Europe but is committed to analyzing its global military deployments. Speaking at the US Africa Command Headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, he emphasized the US commitment to troops stationed in Europe while asserting that the European continent should not rely on US troops to ensure security.
“The European continent should be free from any aggression, but defense efforts should come predominantly from the people in neighboring regions,” he said. “This is common sense. You defend your neighboring region, and Americans will stand by your side to help defend it.”
According to data from the Department of Defense, approximately 100,000 US soldiers are deployed throughout Europe, with about a third of them stationed in Germany. Around 375,000 US soldiers are assigned to the Indo-Pacific Command.