Selective invitations in Poland

The United States Department of Defense is convening a selective NATO working group in Poland next month, excluding key European allies including the United Kingdom, France, and the Baltic states. Spearheaded by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, the gathering focuses on restructuring the alliance and redistributing defense obligations across Europe. Six European countries received invitations to the session: Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Six diplomats familiar with the planning confirmed the restricted guest list, prompting questions from excluded capitals regarding Washington's criteria. Diplomats from omitted governments expressed concern over being sidelined despite maintaining substantial military budgets and fulfilling key operational roles within the alliance.

Origins of the Bergen Group

The upcoming talks in Poland mark the third meeting of a mini-lateral framework designated as the Bergen Group. The format takes its name from Bergen, Norway, where Colby hosted the inaugural session with defense officials in June 2026. Representatives from the six participating European nations have sought to reassure external observers that the group does not serve as an alternative to NATO or aim to split member states. Instead, participating officials describe the forum as an engine of transformation designed to draft policy proposals on military capabilities before presenting them to the wider 32-member alliance. Colby previously indicated that invitations were extended to countries that are rapidly fulfilling defense spending targets, possess practical capabilities, and show readiness for concrete collective action. Reporting indicates Denmark could potentially join future deliberations of the group.

Strategic friction over defense spending

The creation of the narrow working group follows sustained pressure from President Donald Trump for European allies to increase defense expenditures toward 5% of gross domestic product and assist United States military operations against Iran. In April 2026, the White House compiled an internal roster categorizing allies based on their adherence to presidential priorities, exploring punitive measures against governments that resisted American requests. United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has championed this approach by elevating model allies that meet American benchmarks. The posture extends beyond Europe: last month, the administration abruptly scaled back a planned joint military exercise with South Korea after expressing dissatisfaction over Seoul's refusal to take part in the war against Iran.

Trump previously addressed his dissatisfaction with collective defense arrangements in a public post on Truth Social:

“I have always viewed NATO -- where we spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year to protect these exact same countries -- as a one-way street: we'll protect them, but they won't do anything for us, especially in times of need.”

Allied pushback and future posture

The restricted meetings in Poland coincide with an ongoing Pentagon review of the American military presence across the European continent. Colby stated during remarks in Washington in September 2026 that the initiative seeks to build a stronger and more durable NATO by ensuring European members assume primary responsibility for the conventional defense of the continent. However, diplomats from excluded states warned that categorizing allies into preferred and disfavored tiers could fracture the alliance at a time of depleted weapons stockpiles and ongoing Russian aggression. One allied official reported that uninvited governments have fulfilled all formal requests and remain uninformed about the specific standards governing attendance. Both the White House and the Pentagon declined to provide formal comment on the meeting structure.