In a Pentagon survey obtained exclusively by Al Jazeera, NATO allies were surveyed on their loyalty to U.S. policies.
Published August 19, 2026
The Pentagon handed out a long list of questions to America’s NATO allies about their compliance with President Donald Trump’s transatlantic alliance initiative, according to documents exclusively obtained by Al Jazeera.
The questionnaire pointedly asks whether allies “publicly support U.S. foreign policy priorities.”
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Another bullet point asks, “Has this country demonstrated consistency with the U.S. approach of being ‘strong, clear, and quiet,'” a reference to a phrase used by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in May.
Marks and wording on the document suggest the question is intended to guide interactions between U.S. and NATO officials during the Pentagon’s ongoing six-month review of U.S. forces in Europe.
The three-page document, titled “Questions for NATO Allies and Other Key Stakeholders,” was obtained from the officials who received it. Bloomberg News first reported portions of the survey.
The most overtly political questions come last. One of the questions asked allies about whether they have placed restrictions on US access to bases or military flights over their skies, an issue that has become a source of friction in the US and Israel’s war against Iran.
Several European countries imposed such restrictions after the start of the war on February 28th.
“Are they willing to reduce or remove such restrictions?” the questionnaire then asks.
Experts say the document reflects increased efforts under President Trump to involve U.S. allies in the Iran war, even if the conflict falls outside the scope of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) collective defense pact.
“This administration is confusing the topic of NATO with unilateral U.S. military operations,” said a senior defense official from a NATO ally, speaking on condition of anonymity. “This survey reflects this confusion. NATO has nothing to do with the Middle East.”
The survey asks whether allies support the Trump administration’s “NATO 3.0” initiative. The initiative calls for European allies to take greater responsibility for their own defense with “more limited U.S. assistance.”
Other lines echo President Trump’s demands for allies to spend more on defense and contribute more to NATO’s command and force structure.
Some countries have already violated the requirements mentioned in the survey.
For example, President Trump has repeatedly criticized Spain for its decision to seek an exemption from the 2025 agreement among NATO allies to raise military spending to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP).
In March, Spain also closed its airspace to U.S. military aircraft and refused to allow the U.S. to use its bases to attack Iran. President Trump responded by threatening to cut off trade with Madrid.
A senior European official said on condition of anonymity that the survey “does not explicitly condition the presence of U.S. troops on political loyalty.”
But the official added that this reflects “the Pentagon’s desire to develop a concrete and almost vindictive case for reducing military presence.” It also sent a message to allies to “stand on the White House’s good side by expecting close alignment with White House policy.”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to questions for this story.
“Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, these kinds of issues always come up in conversations,” Jim Townsend, a former assistant secretary of defense, said on Al Jazeera’s This Is America program.
“We know that this administration in particular places a high value on loyalty, whether it’s to its own citizens or to our allies. And as you know, President Trump has been very tough on our allies about their expectations for their loyalty and support for the United States.”
