Alliance Faces US Scrutiny
NATO Conducts US Coast Exercises Amid Trump Administration's Challenge to 77-Year Alliance Value
NATO warships are drilling in U.S. waters right now — even as the alliance faces its worst political crisis in decades. Thirty-one vessels from 17 nations are taking part in Fleet Exercise 250, or FLEETEX 250, off the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia, according to Reuters. The drills include anti-submarine warfare and simulated boarding operations, with reporters watching from the Norwegian frigate *Fridtjof Nansen* 40 miles off the Carolina coast.
The timing could not be more awkward. President Trump told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House on June 24 that he was "disappointed with most" of America's core allies, according to Reuters. The reason: the UK, France, Germany, and Spain all refused to back the U.S. war in Iran. The military exercises carry on, but the political bond holding NATO together is visibly fraying.
FLEETEX 250: What the Drills Actually Involve
Ships gathered first at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, during June 16–21 for what planners call the "harbor phase" — briefings and tactical integration before heading to sea, according to Seapower. The at-sea phase ran June 22–29. Crews practiced anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction, and large-scale amphibious landings. On June 27, Spanish and French Marines joined U.S. Marines at Camp Lejeune for an urban breaching drill, according to DVIDS.
Military planners stress that FLEETEX 250 was scheduled years in advance. David Cattler, a former NATO intelligence chief, said the drills show European "willingness to defend both sides of the Atlantic." But he added they are unlikely to change the "transactional" thinking now driving decisions at the Pentagon, according to Reuters.
Iran War Split the Alliance Down the Middle
The rift traces back to February 2026, when the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran. The stated goals were securing the Strait of Hormuz and halting nuclear proliferation. Most European allies called it a unilateral American move that violated international law. Spain went furthest: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the war "profoundly illegal and unjust" and shut Spanish airspace to U.S. military aircraft, according to The Guardian.
Spain also revoked U.S. access to the jointly operated Rota and Morón air bases. That forced U.S. refueling tankers to relocate to Ramstein, Germany, adding significant costs, according to Washington Times. By June 18, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was in Brussels calling European reluctance "shameful" and announcing a six-month review of the entire U.S. military footprint in Europe, according to Breaking Defense.
Congress Draws a Red Line on Troop Withdrawals
Even as the White House signals a pullback, Congress is pushing back hard. The 2026 National Defense Act — a $901 billion spending bill, $8 billion more than Trump asked for — bars the administration from reducing U.S. troops in Europe below 76,000 without strict certification, according to Atlantic Council. It is a rare bipartisan move aimed at "Trump-proofing" the alliance.
NATO's own spending targets have also shifted dramatically. At the 2025 Hague Summit, allies agreed to spend 5% of GDP on defense — 3.5% on core military and 1.5% on resilience. Yet Spain has already asked for an exemption ahead of the Ankara Summit on July 7–8, 2026, where allies will try to lock in a formal spending road map, according to Modern Diplomacy.
What a U.S. Pullback Would Actually Mean for Europe
Military analysts warn of what they call a "hollowing out" of NATO's shield. The worry is not just troop numbers. It is the loss of U.S. strategic assets: reconnaissance satellites, aerial refueling tankers, and Aegis missile defense ships. Europe cannot replace those quickly, according to GLOBSEC. Eastern members like Poland and the Baltic states have met the new 5% spending targets, but they fear losing the "integrative layer" only Washington provides.
Trump added 5,000 troops to Poland — seen as a reward for Warsaw's high defense spending — but the broader picture remains uncertain. The Iran war has already cost the U.S. $25 billion through April 2026, according to Reuters, straining the domestic budget and giving the White House more reason to push Europe to pay its own way. Air Chief Marshal Sir John Stringer, NATO's deputy supreme commander, acknowledged the alliance is in a "moment of turbulence" but insisted military cooperation remains insulated from politics, according to the Associated Press.
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