US Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby is hosting a meeting in Poland with representatives from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands to discuss NATO's future defense strategies under what is termed "NATO 3.0." The format excludes France, the UK, and the Baltic states, which has raised concerns among NATO experts who warn that this approach could create divisions within the alliance by implying favoritism from the US towards certain member countries. Critics argue that such exclusivity undermines collective defense principles central to NATO’s structure.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
US Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby is hosting representatives from five key NATO members in Poland to discuss defence capabilities and the future of the alliance.
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Colby → host → alliance
Critics warn the exclusion of some Allies risks creating a “toxic” divide.
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exclusion → warn → divide
Talks between US Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby and five European countries have raised concerns among NATO experts who warn the format risks dividing the alliance as Washington presses Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defence.
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Washington → raise → defence
Known as the Bergen Group after its inaugural meeting in Norway last year, the format brings together Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands.
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format → know → Sweden
The UK, France and the Baltic states were not invited.
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UK → invite → ?
"The bottom line is this is very toxic for an alliance that relies of collective play," said Fabrice Pothier, CEO of geopolitical consultancy, Rasmussen Global.
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Pothier → rely → consultancy
"Clearly this is about the US having favourites," he told Euronews.
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he → have → Euronews
The group was established to discuss NATO’s future as the alliance shifts towards so-called NATO 3.0: a US invented model in which Europe takes the lead the conventional defence of the continent.
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Europe → establish → continent
It also involves the US scaling back its traditional role, and withdrawing key capabilities including bombers, submarines and personnel it makes available to the alliance.
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it → involve → alliance
Meanwhile, NATO is playing down the significance of the separate, US-led subgroup.
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NATO → play → subgroup
“It’s not unusual for groups of Allies to meet in smaller formats,” a NATO official told Euronews.
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official → ’ → Euronews
NATO 3.0 involves the US withdrawing from its traditional role as the leading defence provider in Europe, pulling capabilities such as bombers, submarines and personnel available to the alliance.
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US → involve → alliance
While officials dismiss the talks as routine, others argue the arrangement will split members into "good European versus bad European" categories while reinforcing Washington's influence across the alliance.
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arrangement → dismiss → alliance
Pothier acknowledged that smaller groups can advance new ideas within organisations, such as the publication of 'non-papers', but he argued that Washington had selected the Bergen countries as they fulfil important defence criteria.
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they → acknowledge → criteria
"Initiatives, often come from smaller groups," he said.
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he → come → groups
"These countries bring a certain desired mass – ground, air and maritime," said Pothier.
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Pothier → bring → mass
"But why is the US picking some rather than others when this is not a policy exercise?" he said.
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he → pick → some
Pothier, who is former director of policy planning said the separation of the parts of alliance into subgroups creates concern that the US might be more inclined to defend one ally over another.
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US → say → another
"You introduce the notion that the US favours some allies and would be likely to defend those allies ahead of the rest," said Pothier.
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Pothier → introduce → rest
He suggested US President Donald Trump’s “grudge” over the UK and France’s initial refusal to join the war in Iran, along with France’s push to buy European military equipment, could explain their exclusion.
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grudge → suggest → exclusion
UK diplomats, however, rejected the suggestion that Britain was being sidelined, saying they remained in regular contact with their US counterparts.
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they → reject → counterparts
They are among NATO’s biggest defence spenders as a share of GDP and sit on the alliance’s frontline with Russia.
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They → sit → Russia
The region has faced repeated hybrid attacks, including drone incursions, arson and sabotage.
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region → face → incursions
Their exclusion follows Colby’s visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels in August, when, according to NATO sources, he urged Baltic officials to adopt a less confrontational tone towards Russian aggression.
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he → follow → aggression
One source said Colby cited renewed US efforts to end the war in Ukraine as a reason to tone down talk of being at “war” with Russia.
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Colby → say → Russia
Washington has also invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami in December, at a golf resort owned by Trump.
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Washington → invite → Trump
"It's probably the first time since NATO enlargement that there’s a split between the US and Baltics," said Pothier.
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Pothier → ’ → US
"We know that this US administration is far less fazed by Russian aggression," he said.
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he → know → aggression
The situation for the Baltics remains tense due to the ongoing drone and other shadow war hostilities.
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situation → remain → drone
On Saturday, Vilnius airport was forced to shut down for around an hour, prompting the deployment of two NATO jets in response to a suspected drone intrusion from Belarus.
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airport → force → Belarus
Lithuania invites Colby
A source confirmed to Euronews that the Lithuanian government has invited Colby to visit the region to witness the ongoing airspace violations first-hand.
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government → invite → violations
"We say what we see," a Baltic diplomat told Euronews defending their forward military posture.
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diplomat → say → posture
The diplomat added that Moscow must understand the cost of its shadow war to be "harsh."
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EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, a former Lithuanian prime minister, also called for a stronger response at the Euronews Defence and Space Summit last week.
"If we are hit by Russian hybrid attacks, our answers should be as painful as that attack," Kubilius said.
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Meanwhile, a Washington-based source told Euronews that the exclusive meeting appears to be "mischief-making" on the part of the US, warning that it actively divides the alliance.
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it → base → alliance
French officials had no response time of publication.
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officials → have → publication
The Aporia
