Hegseth, who was visiting U.S. Africa Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, told reporters that while the United States is committed to keeping a footprint in Europe, "We would be remiss in not reviewing forced posture everywhere."
He also pressed that the responsibility of keeping the region free of aggression should not solely fall to Washington, D.C., and that European countries must increase their defense spending.
"The European continent deserves to be free from any aggression but it ought to be those in the neighborhood investing the most in that defense," Hegseth told reporters. "That's common sense. You defend your neighborhood, and the Americans will come alongside you in helping in that defense."
For the time being, the U.S. military doesn't plan to cut U.S. forces in Europe.
"It would be the wrong planning assumption to say, 'Oh, America is abandoning something or America's leaving,'" he said. "No, America's smart."
Roughly 100,000 U.S. troops are deployed across Europe, with more than one-third of them based in Germany, according to the Pentagon.
But President Trump towards the end of his first term sought to significantly reduce American forces in the country over disagreements with German officials, a move his military leaders were able to slow walk and ultimately avoid.
Hegseth's remarks come ahead of his participation in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO's Brussels headquarters, which would make him the first major Trump administration official to visit NATO.
The visit is significant as many within the military alliance waiting to see how Trump plans to approach Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, including whether he will continue to fund Kyiv's troops with weapons and equipment as President Biden did.
And after Belgium, Hegseth plans to visit Poland as a part of the weeklong trip.
Read more on the Trump administration and Ukraine at TheHill.com.
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