Pete Hegseth’s visit to Poland was his first bilateral meeting since he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Credit: Wojtek Radwanski / AFP / Getty

Europeans cannot assume that America’s military presence on the continent will last forever, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday during bombshell remarks in Warsaw.

“The American troop levels on the continent are important,” he said, alongside his Polish counterpart, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. “What happens five, 10, 15 years from now is part of a larger discussion that reflects the threat level, America’s posture, our needs around the globe, but most importantly the capability of European countries to step up.”

“That’s why our message is so stark to our European allies — now is the time to invest because you can’t make an assumption that America’s presence will last forever,” he added.

Hegseth’s comments come on the heels of a two-day meeting at NATO’s Brussels headquarters that marked his debut on the European stage. He had already hinted then that Europeans would eventually have to provide most of the conventional deterrence against Russia.

The U.S. is currently reviewing its global […]

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