The US will reduce security assistance for countries bordering Russia as it pushes Europe to pay for more of its own defense, according to reports.
US Department of Defense officials said that an important authority under which the US provides security support to the Baltic states will be “set at zero for all European countries” from the next financial year, according to Lithuania’s Defense Ministry Policy Director via Reuters.
It came after reports from the Financial Times on Thursday that Pentagon officials had told European diplomats that the US will cease to fund programs that train and equip militaries in Eastern European countries that would form a frontline in any wider conflict against Russia.
A White House official reportedly said that the move is part of US President Donald Trump’s efforts to “re-evaluate and realign” foreign aid, saying that it can be attributed to “the President’s long-standing emphasis on ensuring Europe takes more responsibility for its own defense.”
The cuts concern an authority known as section 333, which permits the defense secretary to supply foreign security forces with training and equipment in areas such as counterterrorism, cybersecurity and maritime and border security.
Created in 2020, the initiative was designed to strengthen the armed forces of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, all of which are hemmed in by land borders with Russia.
All three states have been subject to repeated attacks linked to Moscow, with a toolkit including sabotage of critical infrastructure, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and drone incursions.
Funds will be entirely cut off at the end of September 2026, according to the Financial Times, which says that they may amount hundreds of millions of dollars in value — though the Pentagon has not provided lawmakers with a specific sum.
A European official told the paper that the move is aimed at prompting wealthier European nations to shoulder a greater share of the security support for frontline states along NATO’s eastern flank.
Officials said that they felt blindsided by the decision, adding that they were unsure whether domestic funding could fill the gaps or whether this could compromise critical pillars of European security.
One said that it would have “big implications” for defense, while another claimed that the decision was “causing a lot of concern and uncertainty” for diplomats.
The cuts would need to be confirmed by Congress and would not affect the deployment of US troops or support provided through a separate program called Foreign Military Financing.
In an email to Reuters, an Estonian Defense Ministry spokesperson said that US military assistance “has served as a very important political signal of US support” but did not confirm or deny the cuts.
The Baltic states already spend almost three times more on defense now than before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, amounting to roughly 3-4% of their gross domestic product (GDP).
In June, NATO allies committed to increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 after Trump demanded more equitable contributions from Europe in order to reduce military dependence on the US.
Estonian and Lithuanian defense officials also previously warned that Moscow could use a ceasefire in Ukraine to rearm and redeploy forces to the north, raising the security threat to the Baltic states.