Donald Trump, who has advocated for Europe's security freeloading theory. [Reuters=Yonhap News]

The United States has notified its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to fill the void left by the reduction of U.S. military assets on their own.

According to Reuters, Gen. Tod D. Wolters, Commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), stated in a release on the 3rd (local time) that he expects European countries and Canada to quickly increase the number of manned and unmanned military aircraft and warships required for NATO's defense plans.

Gen. Wolters cited an "unhealthy interdependence" in the NATO Force Model (NFM) as the background for this decision.

He explained, "President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have made it clear that changes are needed and will happen," adding, "This is necessary due to the potential reality of conflicts occurring simultaneously on multiple fronts."

President Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO for relying on U.S. military power and freeloading on security, and has declared that Europe will take the lead in maintaining conventional forces to protect itself.

In this context, the U.S. notified its decision last month to reduce its contribution to the NFM, a system for operating military alliances to respond quickly to crises such as threats from Russia.

At the time, the U.S. did not publicly disclose the specific targets, scope, or timing of the reduction.

However, defense sources reported that aerial refueling tankers, fighter jets, drones, and warships are among the military assets that will be partially withdrawn from Europe.

General Tod D. Wolters, U.S. Air Force and Commander of U.S. European Command. [Reuters=Yonhap News]

Gen. Wolters' comments today, pointing to manned and unmanned military aircraft and naval vessels, are noteworthy as the first public confirmation of the areas of reduction.

He stated, "As the United States reduces its forces assigned to Europe's NFM and focuses elsewhere, the two areas where allies such as Europe and Canada can accelerate speed and make an immediate impact are manned and unmanned military aircraft and warships."

Citing sources, Reuters reported that under the U.S. military's plan, the number of U.S. fighter jets, the F-15 and F-15E, will be reduced by one-third to 99, and the number of drones, the MQ-4 and MQ-9 Reaper, will be halved to 12.

NATO allies in Europe are expressing serious concern as the Trump administration reduces the U.S. contribution to NATO amidst a rapidly changing security landscape following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the war between the U.S. and Iran.

In response, NATO spokesperson Colonel Martin O'Donnell of the U.S. Army argued that the areas mentioned by Gen. Wolters are fields where allies already possess sufficient capabilities.

He explained, "There will be no decrease in defense capabilities whatsoever," adding, "It is simply a matter of nations (NATO allies) allocating the capabilities they possess to NATO."

Security experts believe that this U.S. decision, regardless of the specific facts, could send the wrong political signal to allies and Russia.

Jim Townsend, Senior Fellow for Transatlantic Security at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), a U.S. think tank, pointed out, "This is a time when the United States should be vocal in supporting Europe, which is being harassed by Russia." He added, "This is not the time to reduce U.S. forces in Europe and decrease the military power promised to NATO."