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NATO’s Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise is underway across Eastern Europe, testing the rapid deployment of forces along the 32-nation alliance’s eastern border. The exercise, involving 10,000 troops from nine countries, focuses on NATO’s Allied Reaction Force (ARF), a multi-domain deployment across Europe, integrating air, land, maritime, and special operations forces.

Traditionally led by U.S. forces, this year’s drills are notable for the absence of American participation, signaling a shift in NATO’s defense strategy. The exercise highlights NATO’s commitment to collective security and the growing capabilities of its European allies.

The Steadfast Dart 2025 drills come at a time of growing uncertainty over the U.S.’s commitment to European security, as President Donald Trump’s administration urges allies to take on a larger financial and operational role in defense matters.

Steadfast Dart 25 brings together approximately 10,000 service personnel from nine nations, including Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Romania, Spain, Slovenia, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom. The six-week exercises are being held across Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece.

The drills mark the first large-scale deployment of NATO’s Allied Reaction Force (ARF), a newly formed rapid-response unit designed to be deployed within 10 days in the event of a crisis. However, beyond testing military readiness, these drills also highlight Europe’s new reality, a NATO that must prepare to act independently of direct U.S. leadership.

NATO’s Allied Reaction Force (ARF) is a high-readiness, multi-domain force capable of rapid deployment across Europe. Exercise Steadfast Dart 25 demonstrates NATO’s ability to reinforce its eastern flank, integrating air, land, maritime, and special operations forces.

Steadfast Dart 2025: European show of strength

Despite the uncertainty surrounding U.S. commitment, NATO is moving forward with its most ambitious military drills of the year. Steadfast Dart 2025 includes, NATO’s ongoing military exercises feature a range of operations aimed at enhancing coordination across multiple domains. In Romania, troops are engaged in live-fire training and trench warfare drills, while Greek and Spanish marines lead amphibious assault exercises in Greece.

The drills also include simulated cyber and space warfare operations, along with aerial and naval maneuvers involving over 20 aircraft and a dozen naval vessels. The United Kingdom plays a crucial role, leading the Allied Rapid Force (ARF) with 2,600 troops and 730 military vehicles. These exercises are designed to strengthen NATO’s ability to mobilize quickly and operate without direct U.S. military involvement.

NATO's largest exercise in 2025 is underway

10.000 troops from 9 Allies are training in Romania 🇷🇴 and Bulgaria 🇧🇬

The exercise is based on NATO's new defence plans and will focus on the planning and execution of a pre-crisis multi-domain scenario 💪

🔗https://t.co/Iq54YUrYpT pic.twitter.com/IqSf8WZLGS

— NATO (@NATO) February 18, 2025

As NATO strengthens its eastern defenses, Romania has emerged as a key player in regional security. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Romania has hosted multinational NATO battlegroups, donated a Patriot missile system to Ukraine, and established an international F-16 training hub for allied and Ukrainian pilots. With its strategic location bordering Ukraine, Romania now serves as a frontline state in NATO’s defense posture, playing a growing role in hosting allied forces and military exercises.

Tensions over US role in NATO

The shift in U.S. foreign policy under President Trump has sent shockwaves through European capitals. At a recent NATO meeting in Brussels, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made it clear that Washington expects European nations to increase defense spending and take the lead in regional security.

Hegseth stated, “European allies must lead from the front,” a remark that has left many NATO members questioning whether the U.S. will continue to serve as Europe’s primary security guarantor.

Adding to the situation, Trump has also signaled his intention to engage in direct negotiations with Russia regarding the war in Ukraine, a move that has unsettled NATO allies. European leaders were notably absent from a high-level diplomatic meeting between Washington and Moscow in Saudi Arabia this week, further deepening concerns about their sidelining in crucial security discussions.

France takes the lead in European security

As NATO grapples with the changing geopolitical landscape, French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a strategic meeting in Paris with key European leaders, including those from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland. The meeting, set for later this week, aims to coordinate a European-led security strategy independent of Washington’s shifting priorities.

Macron has long advocated for “European strategic autonomy,” arguing that the continent must develop military capabilities that are not reliant on the U.S. His push has gained momentum considering Trump’s recent statements, with some European nations now considering joint defense funding initiatives and expanding military-industrial cooperation.

Exercise Steadfast Dart 25 represents a pivotal change in European defense strategy, potentially signaling the dawn of a new era focused on greater military independence and less reliance on the United States.

A NATO without US leadership?

The Steadfast Dart 2025 drills are not just about military preparedness, they are a test of whether Europe can defend itself without full U.S. backing. While Trump has not announced any troop withdrawals from the region, his administration’s demands for increased European defense spending suggest that a more independent European security strategy is no longer just an option, it is a necessity.

The coming weeks will be crucial as European leaders meet to determine their next steps. While NATO remains united in its commitment to deterrence against Russian aggression, the uncertainty surrounding U.S. involvement has left the alliance at a crossroads. For now, NATO troops continue their war games across Eastern Europe, preparing for a future in which they may need to defend the continent on their terms.