Elbridge Colby, the US undersecretary for defence, at a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday. Photograph: John Thys/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Pentagon’s policy chief, Elbridge Colby, has told European Nato defence ministers in Brussels they need to step up their combat capabilities and take the lead in protecting the Continent from the Russian threat. The influential undersecretary for defence, sent by the White House in place of his boss, Pete Hegseth, said the US would reduce conventional forces in Europe but insisted Washington remained committed to the military alliance. The undersecretary is one of the most vocal proponents in the Trump administration of shifting US military attention away from Europe. Mark Rutte, Nato’s secretary general, sought to move on from the unprecedented row, arguing that an alliance of democracies would always have “debates and discussions”.

Source: The Irish Times February 13, 2026 10:09 UTC