U.S. officials are engaged in discussions on the potential deployment of nuclear weapons to additional NATO member states, according to the Financial Times.
The report says the talks focus on the forward deployment of dual-capable aircraft (DCA), military jets capable of delivering nuclear weapons. These aircraft form a key part of NATO’s nuclear sharing framework.
According to the report, countries along NATO’s eastern flank, particularly Poland and the Baltic states, have expressed strong interest in hosting DCA amid ongoing concerns over Russia.
The U.S. currently stores nuclear weapons at bases in six NATO countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Under the agreement, the weapons remain under U.S. control in peacetime but could be deployed by allied aircraft in the event of war.
The report comes after President Donald Trump and several of his aides criticized European allies for what they describe as inadequate military spending and an overreliance on the U.S. for conventional defense capabilities. In recent months, Trump also criticized European allies for what he described as a lack of support during the U.S. military campaign against Iran.
In May, Trump said the U.S. would withdraw more than 5,000 troops from Germany. A Politico report in the same month said the U.S. will gradually scale back the number of strategic bombers, fighter jets, drones, submarines and warships assigned to NATO as part of a broader effort to reduce its military footprint in Europe.
Despite the planned drawdown, Trump also announced last month that the U.S. would send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, though no timeline was provided. The announcement came one week after the Pentagon canceled a planned deployment of 4,000 troops to the country.
President Trump posts on TruthSocial:
Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to… pic.twitter.com/bOJwLMMxh7
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) May 21, 2026
Trump’s decision followed a “very productive” meeting between U.S. Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby and Polish Secretary of State Paweł Zalewski, according to Colby.
