US to Press NATO Allies on Defense Spending Push
Washington will keep urging NATO allies to raise defense budgets as the Pentagon pushes for a tougher military alliance after the Hague summit.
Washington plans to keep pressing NATO allies to increase their defense budgets, both in public and behind closed doors, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said.
According to Hegseth, alliance members made a number of defense commitments at the Hague summit. Some countries are already moving in that direction, he said, while others still need to do more.
The Pentagon chief said the United States sees these discussions with allies as necessary and will continue pointing to the need for higher military spending.
Hegseth also said NATO should return to being a full-scale military alliance with a tougher approach. In his view, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US President Donald Trump have done significant work toward shaping what he described as NATO 3.0.
He linked that vision to the new realities that emerged after the Cold War. The alliance, Hegseth said, needs to move back toward the model of a real military bloc with the capabilities needed to deter threats on the European continent and with a firmer strategic posture.
The Pentagon chief added that NATO should play a central role in Europe’s defense through conventional military means.