US excludes UK, France and Baltic states from Pentagon-led NATO meeting
Some of NATO's biggest European military spenders were left off the guest list for a Pentagon-organised meeting on the alliance's future, diplomats told Politico.
The United Kingdom, France and the Baltic states were not invited to a closed-door meeting on NATO's future direction, organised by the US Department of Defense, according to Politico, cited by VRT NWS and Czech broadcaster CT24. Six diplomats briefed on the preparations said the meeting, to be held in Poland, amounts to a working group on NATO's future rather than a formal alliance summit.
The meeting is being organised by Elbridge Colby, the US under-secretary of defence for policy, CT24 reported. Diplomats from excluded countries said they could not explain why major military spenders with key roles in the alliance, including nuclear powers Britain and France, were left off the list, according to VRT NWS.
"We are doing everything that is asked of us," one diplomat from an excluded country said, according to VRT NWS. "We are trying to find out what the exact selection criteria are and what will be discussed at these meetings. At this point, we have not been informed about that." Neither the White House nor the Pentagon responded to requests for comment, Politico reported, according to CT24.
Invited countries, among them Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands, said the aim is not to split NATO but to develop concrete proposals in a smaller group before presenting them to the full alliance, diplomats said. One diplomat from an invited country called the group "a motor for the transformation" of NATO as a whole, while acknowledging that excluded allies are frustrated, particularly because many have met or exceeded the alliance's defence-spending targets.
The exclusions follow earlier threats from the administration of US President Donald Trump to rank allies as good or bad depending on how closely they follow Washington's priorities. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said allies that do not support US interests will face consequences, while Trump has described NATO as a "one-way street" in which the US pays to protect countries that do little in return, CT24 reported.
One diplomat from an excluded country warned that splitting NATO into favoured and unfavoured allies would be dangerous for the US and "a matter of survival" for Europe, according to VRT NWS and Dnevnik.hr.
What we know
- The US excluded the UK, France and the Baltic states from a Pentagon-organised meeting on NATO's future, to be held in Poland.
- The meeting is led by Elbridge Colby, the US under-secretary of defence for policy.
- Diplomats from excluded countries say they have not been told the selection criteria.
- Invited countries include Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands.
- Neither the White House nor the Pentagon has responded to requests for comment.
Why it matters for Europe
The exclusions come as NATO faces what diplomats describe as growing Russian aggression and depleted weapons stockpiles, making unity among allies a central concern. Splitting the alliance into an inner circle and the rest could weaken collective decision-making at a time when Britain and France, both nuclear powers, and the Baltic states, which border Russia and Belarus, play central roles in European defence.
Sources
Reported by 12 reports from 12 independent outlets in 10 countries.
- Dnevnik.hr: Pentagon okuplja uži krug NATO-a, velike države ispale s "popisa dobrih": "To je pitanje opstanka za Europu"
- Oslobođenje: Trump razbija NATO? Pentagon tajno okuplja dio članica, veliki su izbačeni
- Kommersant: НАТО: США не пригласили ключевых союзников на октябрьскую встречу
- De Morgen: Live - VS organiseren bijeenkomsten over toekomst Navo met select groepje landen • Trump en Vance gaan op campagne in dieprode gebieden
- Sloboden Pečat: Пентагон исклучи од состанок клучни сојузници на НАТО — ги подели на добри и лоши момци
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Questions and answers
- Which countries were excluded from the meeting?
- The UK, France and the Baltic states were not invited, despite being among NATO's larger European military spenders, diplomats told Politico.
- Who is organising the meeting?
- Elbridge Colby, the US under-secretary of defence for policy, is organising the meeting, due to be held in Poland.
- Why does this matter for NATO unity?
- Diplomats warned that dividing allies into favoured and unfavoured groups could deepen splits in the alliance as it faces increased Russian aggression.
This article was written with AI assistance from 12 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.