US sets 2027 deadline for Europe-led NATO defense, officials say

The shifting of this burden from the U.S. to European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would dramatically change how the United States, a founding member of the post-war alliance, works with its most important military partners. The U.S. officials told their counterparts that if Europe does not meet the 2027 deadline, the U.S. may stop participating in some NATO defense coordination mechanisms, said the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. "Allies have recognized the need to invest more in defense and shift the burden on conventional defense" from the U.S. to Europe, the official said.