European allies push back against Pentagon’s “loyalty test” questionnaire

A three-page Pentagon questionnaire circulated to NATO allies has drawn sharp criticism from European officials and politicians, who view it as an unprecedented attempt to condition American security guarantees on political alignment with the Trump administration’s foreign policy.

The document, titled “Questions for NATO Allies & Other Key Stakeholders” and first detailed by Bloomberg before Al Jazeera obtained the full text, forms part of a six-month U.S. review of American forces in Europe announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It asks whether countries have been “publicly supportive of US foreign policy priorities,” shown alignment with Hegseth’s “strong, clear, and quiet” approach, endorsed the “NATO 3.0” concept of greater European responsibility with reduced U.S. support, restricted U.S. access to bases or overflight rights (particularly during the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran), and preferred American defense contractors over “made in Europe” rules.

Here are the 3 pages of questions sent out by the Pentagon to NATO allies during an ongoing six-month US review of American forces in Europe. The doc confirms earlier reporting by @business https://t.co/ovh7tG5Qy6 pic.twitter.com/AgqmQQt6BU
— Alex Marquardt (@MarquardtA) August 20, 2026

European reactions have focused on the questionnaire’s potential to fracture the alliance. Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the Estonian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, described it as one of the “harshest internal stress tests” for NATO. He warned that any unnecessary disruption pushing the alliance toward fragmentation or division would be “a gift to China and Russia.”

Anonymous senior European and NATO officials have been equally blunt. One senior European official said the questionnaire does not explicitly tie U.S. troop presence to political loyalty but reflects “the Pentagon’s desire to develop the case for specific, almost vindictive force presence reductions” and signals that allies should stay “on the good side of the White House by expecting close alignment with the White House agenda.”

A senior defense official from a NATO ally criticized the document for conflating alliance business with unilateral American operations: “This administration has been confusing NATO topics with unilateral US military operations. This questionnaire also reflects this confusion. NATO has nothing to do with the Middle East.”

According to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg and other outlets, allies have broadly balked at the exercise, seeing it as pressure to trade ideological and commercial loyalty for continued U.S. protection. The questions on base access and overflight are especially sensitive; several European countries, including Spain, imposed restrictions after the start of the Iran conflict in late February.

Critics argue the bilateral approach – sending the questionnaire to individual capitals rather than through NATO structures – risks turning collective defense into a series of separate bargains. This comes amid already heightened tensions over U.S. troop adjustments in Europe and longstanding disputes on defense spending and procurement.

While the review is still underway and no final decisions on force posture have been announced, European voices warn that framing security cooperation around loyalty tests could undermine the trust that has underpinned the alliance for decades. As one Estonian lawmaker put it, the real cost may ultimately be paid not in Washington but on NATO’s eastern flank.

Caption: US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (C) arrives for the closing ceremony of the PANAMAX 2026 multinational military exercises, in Panama City, Panama, 13 August 2026. EPA/BIENVENIDO VELASCO