NATO members are currently engaged in their largest combat exercises of 2025 in Romania, testing their ability to rapidly deploy large-scale forces on the alliance's eastern border. The drills, known as Steadfast Dart 2025, involve approximately 10,000 military personnel from nine nations as part of NATO's new Allied Reaction Force. These exercises are taking place over six weeks in Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece.
The backdrop for these drills is a shifting geopolitical landscape, with concerns mounting over the United States' commitment to European security under the Trump administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called for increased military spending by NATO allies, raising doubts about Washington's traditional security guarantees to Europe.
