The Trump administration is excluding several major allies from the gathering, Politico reported, citing six diplomats it did not name but said were familiar with the planning.
The meeting, spearheaded by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, is expected to serve as a working group focused on the future of NATO, the report said.
Countries that were not invited include Britain, France and the Baltic states, all of which are major defence spenders and play key roles in the alliance, according to Politico.
Their diplomats have questioned why they were excluded, the report said.
Some officials are concerned that the administration could be favouring certain allies in a way that further strains an alliance already facing challenges from Russia’s aggression and depleted weapons stocks, according to Politico.
The report comes after previous threats by the Trump administration to compile a "naughty and nice list" of NATO governments based on their alignment with US priorities, Politico said.
President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration have repeatedly criticised NATO since returning to office, including over members’ positions on the war in Iran and their failure, in Washington’s view, to meet a target of spending 5 percent of GDP on defence, Politico reported.
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Source: Politico, IAR/PAP