U.S. Retreat from NATO Leadership Risks Undermining European Security and America’s Global Role

In a troubling pattern that should raise alarms in Washington, key U.S. defense leaders have been conspicuously absent from recent NATO ministerial meetings in Brussels, casting doubt on America’s historic role as the cornerstone of the transatlantic alliance. Is the United States stepping back at a time when its leadership is most needed?Who Will Defend Europe if America Steps Aside?Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s no-show at the latest gathering—and the earlier absence of Secretary of State Marco Rubio—marks a break with decades of unwavering U.S. involvement in NATO's top decision-making bodies. Instead of sending senior officials, Washington dispatched Under Secretary...