The Trump administration has circulated a private questionnaire to NATO allies gauging their loyalty to the president’s policies ahead of a possible reduction in U.S. military assets in Europe, according to Bloomberg reporting. The document asks whether each country has “been publicly supportive” of U.S. foreign policy and what restrictions it has placed on American forces using its bases.
The questionnaire directly references disputes that have already divided the alliance. It asks whether allies align with the “strong, clear, and quiet” approach associated with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and revisits base-access restrictions after Spain barred the U.S. from using certain facilities for strikes on Iran, Raw Story reported. Bloomberg’s reporting says the document also touches on European reaction to January’s U.S. raid capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, an operation widely viewed in Europe as a violation of international law.
The review also probes defence-industrial loyalty, asking whether allies steer contracts toward American firms and have opposed “Made in Europe” procurement policies, the Daily Beast reported, creating tension with Washington’s simultaneous push for greater European self-reliance.
Allies have reacted with unease, viewing the questionnaire as an attempt to condition long-standing security guarantees on ideological alignment. NATO has acknowledged discussions with Washington over the broader review, without commenting on the document itself.
The episode adds to a wider pattern the Daily Beast has documented, including Trump-aligned efforts to boost right-leaning political forces in Germany and Hungary. Whether future U.S. security guarantees rest on shared strategic interest or increasingly on conditions set by Washington remains the unresolved question facing the alliance.
