US Defence Secretary skips critical NATO summit amid alliance restructuring

BRUSSELS, 12th February, 2026 (WAM) — The United States welcomed recent efforts by European NATO member states to take on greater responsibility within the alliance, even as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was absent from the NATO defense ministers’ meeting held Thursday in Brussels.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also missed the last NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in December — a move that has raised questions about Washington’s priorities toward the alliance.

Elbridge Colby, the third-highest official at the US Department of Defense, said ahead of the session that strengthening the contribution of European allies “provides a very strong basis for working together in a partnership, with a NATO 3.0 based on partnership instead of dependence.”

He added that the alliance “is returning to its original purpose of defence and deterrence.”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the United States will have to focus more attention on the situation in and around the Pacific in the future, making it necessary for Europe and Canada to shoulder greater responsibilities.

He noted that this process has already begun, citing the alliance’s decision earlier this week to transfer several senior leadership positions from the United States to European allies.

Under the changes, the United Kingdom will assume command of the Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia, while Italy will take command of the Joint Forces Command in Naples. Germany and Poland will alternate in leading the Joint Forces Command in Brunssum, the Netherlands. These adjustments are scheduled to be implemented gradually over the coming years.

The alliance stressed that these steps do not signal a reduction in U.S. commitments. In a NATO statement, the move was described as part of a “shift toward a fairer distribution of responsibilities” within the alliance, emphasizing that “the United States remains committed to NATO’s command and control system,” including its continued role as Supreme Allied Commander Europe.