Pentagon questionnaire on NATO bases draws Estonian parliament criticism

A Pentagon questionnaire sent to European NATO allies requesting their positions on US base access, engagement with American defense contractors, and public support for US policy has drawn criticism from Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the Estonian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, who called it an unnecessary stress test that risks dividing the alliance.

Bloomberg reported the document on 14 August. Allied governments must respond by 27 August, when US Under Secretary for Defense Policy Elbridge Colby is expected at a NATO North Atlantic Council meeting in Brussels.

Mihkelson told Breaking Defense that while NATO questionnaires are routine, they normally originate from NATO headquarters rather than from a single member state acting unilaterally. He said the issues would have been better raised at the North Atlantic Council directly.

Norway's Defense Ministry said it was informed at the June ministerial meeting in Brussels that such a request would follow, and is reviewing its response. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he did not view the document as pressure. Germany's Defense Ministry acknowledged the questionnaire without public objection.