The United States has told its European NATO allies that it wants them to take over the majority of NATO’s regular defence tasks, including intelligence gathering and missile defence, by the year 2027. Pentagon officials conveyed the message to European diplomats; however, some European leaders have described the deadline as overly challenging and unrealistic. The U.S., a founding member of NATO, wants to significantly shift the military burden onto its European partners. American officials indicated they are not satisfied with how quickly Europe has increased its defence spending and capabilities since Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. They warned that if Europe fails to meet this 2027 goal, the U.S. might stop participating in some of the ways NATO coordinates its defences.