The US has reportedly informed NATO of its decision not to participate in military exercises in Europe beyond those already scheduled for 2025, raising questions about the future of Washington in the continent.

Swedish media outlet Expressen reported on Friday that the decision does not apply to the planning of exercises that have already been agreed upon and will be held in 2025.

However, NATO countries will be forced to plan exercises without the participation of the US military, the largest in the alliance.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO countries for not meeting the current goal of spending two percent of GDP on military, arguing that the disparity puts an unfair burden on the US.

He has stated that he wants to prioritize the Indo-Pacific region, which primarily targets China.

On Friday, he warned that the US may not defend NATO countries that do not meet the spending target.

“When I came to NATO, when I first had my first meeting, I noticed that people weren’t paying their bills at all, and I said I should wait till my second meeting,” he told reporters.

“And when I said that, as soon as they said that, it was amazing how the money came in, the money came in, and now they have money. But even now, it’s not enough. They should be paying more,” he added.

Since his inauguration, Trump has shocked allies with moves including ending military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine and excluding European allies from peace talks held with Russia.

Trump has also threatened NATO by saying that he will pull out US troops from Germany. There are about 160,000 US troops in NATO countries, 35,000 of whom are in Germany. If Trump pulls these troops out of Germany, he will further exacerbate US relations with Western Europe.

Brian Hughes, a US national security spokesman, said: “While no specific announcement is imminent, the US military is always considering the redeployment of troops around the world to best address current threats to our interests.”

Furthermore, according to reports, Trump has become annoyed that the Continent has taken Ukraine’s side in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and “is angry that [Europe] appear to be pushing for war,” while “Russia holds all the cards.”

In response, a frustrated Europe has begun preparing itself for a world order in which the US cannot be relied on. EU member states agreed to free up what could amount to an unprecedented $867 billion for defense spending.