U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has delivered a stark message to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies, warning that some member states are falling short on defence commitments and signalling a tougher U.S. approach as the alliance prepares for its upcoming summit in Ankara.
Speaking as he arrived at Nato headquarters in Brussels, Pete Hegseth made clear that Washington is ready to call out underperformance, both publicly and behind closed doors.
“(There are) some that still need to do more, and we will be candid about that, both in private and in public. I think that's important, friends being honest with friends,” he said.
At the heart of his message was a planned six-month review of U.S. military presence in Europe, which he said would not be a routine exercise.
“It’s a review that some countries will fail and others will pass with flying colours,” Pete Hegseth said, adding that the aim is to “improve U.S. force posture and basing and strengthen NATO 3.0.”
He stressed that the review would assess the real value of U.S. deployments and push allies towards greater responsibility.
“It will be designed to ensure that Nato is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defence of Europe.”
Pete Hegseth also tied U.S. contributions to Nato more closely to allies’ defence spending levels, warning that countries not meeting targets could face reduced U.S. support.
“Where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues, contributions will go down. Nato will be a two-way street.”
He reinforced Washington’s position that the current imbalance is no longer acceptable.
“America cannot care for or pay more for Europe’s defence than our allies do.”
Criticising some of Nato’s wealthiest members, he added: “Some of Nato’s largest economies, some of our richest countries, allies that are happiest to go on about the rules-based international order… still think the era of free riding is here.”
“This is not what any reasonable person would expect, and it’s not going to cut it any more.”
Pete Hegseth also voiced anger over what he described as insufficient support from European allies during recent U.S. operations targeting Iran.
“The United States has defended Europe for generations… but too many of our allies said no, or tried to drown us in arcane legal debates, or criticised us publicly… It was shameful,” he said.
“These allies… put America’s sons and daughters… at risk by denying them the predictable access… that never should have been in question.”
The defence secretary said the alliance must return to its core role as a deterrent military force, criticising its evolution over recent decades.
“Our direction of travel is and has been clear,” he said. “This is the right thing to do by the American people. It’s the right thing to do by this alliance.”
He argued that Nato had lost focus in what he described as an era of “distraction, de-industrialisation and demilitarisation”.
“Nato 2.0 was an era of free riding… Those were lost years that we are not going back to.”
He added that the alliance must refocus on traditional military strength.
“Nato has been a paper tiger and a one-way street. No more.”
Pete Hegseth emphasised that Europe must take on a greater share of responsibility for its own defence, pointing to commitments made at last year’s summit.
“Europe can and must take primary responsibility for its conventional defence… we know our allies can do it, and it’s time.”
He framed this as a return to the original vision of Nato’s founders, arguing that Europe was never intended to rely heavily on the United States.
“Europe was not supposed to be a dependency of the United States… Europe was supposed to be a military power, allied with a strong America.”
He also recalled earlier expectations that U.S. troops would eventually return home, suggesting Nato had drifted from its original purpose.
Hegseth made clear that Washington’s expectations have evolved and that allies are now being assessed on their willingness to act.
“For all of our clarity, too many allied capitals seem to still miss something in translation,” he said, warning that “too many allies still do not recognise the historic need… to forge a relevant, powerful military alliance.”
He added that recent events had exposed gaps in commitment.
“We gave our allies a test… and too many failed it.”
As Nato ministers meet for the last time ahead of the Ankara summit, Hegseth’s remarks set a confrontational tone, signalling a shift towards a more demanding and performance-driven alliance.
With the U.S. pushing for a return to what it calls a “hardline” military posture, the coming months are likely to test whether European allies can meet those expectations or face bigger changes in the balance within Nato.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. T...
The UK government has nationalised British Steel, taking full ownership of the country's only primary steelmaker from its Chinese owners to safeguard ...
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev invited Chinese technology companies to expand investment in Kazakhstan during a business roundtable in Shangha...
The U.S. Mint has begun producing a new $1 coin featuring President Donald Trump as part of commemorations marking the United States' 250th anniversary, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Oil prices rose nearly 3% on Tuesday to their highest level in four weeks as the United States and Iran stepped up attacks around the Strait of Hormuz, adding fresh uncertainty to global energy supplies.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers fatally shot a driver in a coastal town of Maine on Monday, less than a week after an ICE agent in Houston, Texas, shot and killed a man in a traffic stop during a deportation crackdown there.
The Trump administration has announced restrictions preventing American citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from boarding commercial flights to the United States amidst a growing Ebola outbreak.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
The death toll from the fire at a live music pub in Bangkok has climbed to 32 after two more victims died from their injuries, according to Thailand's Police Hospital.
Ukraine and Russia exchanged fresh attacks on Tuesday, with Kyiv targeting shipping and energy infrastructure inside Russia while Moscow launched another large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukrainian cities.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. The operation targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites across multiple locations.
Two British hackers who carried out a cyberattack on Transport for London (TfL) that cost the transport authority £29 million to remediate have been jailed for a total of 11 years.
At least 11 people have been killed and 19 injured in a fire at an orphanage on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, state media reported. The blaze broke out early on Thursday at the institution in the eastern suburbs of Algiers.
A woman whose husband was sucked out of the window of a plane during a Ryanair flight has recounted pulling her husband to safety. Serbian couple Svetlana Maksimovic and Ljubisa Karovic had just settled into a flight with the airline last week, when a loud bang pierced the hum of engines.
Russia launched a fresh wave of missile strikes on Ukraine early on Thursday, saying it had hit military and industrial facilities in Kyiv, as well as key port infrastructure in the southern Odesa region.
Uganda is expected to discharge its final Ebola patient on Thursday, beginning the 42-day countdown required before the country can be declared free of the virus if no new cases emerge, according to a government spokesperson.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment