00:00Washington is planning to scale back a major military aid program that's been critical to
00:05NATO's eastern flank. The Financial Times reports the Pentagon told European diplomats
00:11it would wind down what's known as Section 333,
00:14funding used to train and equip allied militaries along Russia's border.
00:21From 2018 to 2022, Europe received about $1.6 billion under the program,
00:27nearly a third of global outlays. Those funds run through 2026, but the administration isn't
00:34asking Congress for more. A Lithuanian defense official said partners were told the line would
00:39be zeroed out next fiscal year, but no written notice has been issued yet. European diplomats
00:45warn losing the funds could weaken NATO readiness. Senator Jean Shaheen, the top Democrat on the
00:51Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called it a misguided move that undercuts allies just as
00:57Washington urges them to step up against Russia. The White House says the change reflects President
01:02Trump's push for Europe to shoulder more of its own defense, and Pentagon officials want resources
01:08shifted toward the Indo-Pacific. Trump recently reassured Poland's president that U.S. troops
01:13would stay, with about 10,000 already stationed there. For NATO's frontline states, the question
01:19now is how quickly Europe can fill the gap if American support disappears.
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