US weighs punishing NATO allies. Ex-NATO military chief responds | DW News

A reported internal Pentagon email suggests the United States considered punishing NATO allies that did not support operations during the Iran war, including proposals targeting countries like Spain and even questioning longstanding positions on UK-linked territories.

In this DW News interview, the former chair of NATO's Military Committee, Rob Bauer, responds to those reports, warning that while such signals can fuel fears of division inside NATO, the real issue is not rhetoric, but whether allies are actually delivering on defense commitments.

Speaking to DW's Ukraine correspondent Nick Connolly, Bauer argues that Europe still hasn’t ramped up weapons production five years into the war in Ukraine, and that while Ukraine can hold the front line, it may not be able to win under current levels of support. The interview was conducted at the Kyiv Security Forum.

Key points covered in the interview:

⦁ Reaction to reports of a Pentagon email on punishing NATO allies

⦁ Why US rhetoric doesn’t always reflect actual policy

⦁ Europe’s struggle to increase defense production capacity

⦁ Ukraine war update: “enough to hold, not enough to win”

⦁ The impact of declining US military support

⦁ NATO vs EU: who is responsible for delivering weapons

⦁ Why China may benefit from a prolonged war

The report about the Pentagon email, first detailed by Reuters, highlights internal US frustration with some European allies over access, basing and overflight rights during the Iran conflict. It has raised new questions about burden-sharing and unity within the alliance.

Chapters:

#dwcurrentaffairs #ukrainewar #nato #robbauer #kyivsecurityforum2026

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