US Defense Secretary warned NATO allies that President Trump will not allow anyone to turn "Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker," emphasizing that Europe should be primarily responsible for its own defense. In a speech at NATO headquarters in Brussels Thursday, Pete Hegseth said that NATO is a great alliance, but to endure for the future, European partners must do more for Europe's defense, and "we must make NATO great again."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that as the U.S. aims to "revive the warrior ethos," European members of NATO also should follow suit and bolster defense efforts.
"NATO should pursue these goals as well," Hegseth told NATO members. "NATO is a great alliance, the most successful defense alliance in history, but to endure for the future, our partners must do far more for Europe’s defense."
"We must make NATO great again," he said.
Hegseth urged European allies to bolster defense spending from 2% to 5% of gross domestic product, as President Donald Trump has long advocated.
As of 2023, the U.S. spent 3.3% of its GDP on defense spending — totaling $880 billion, according to the nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based Peterson Institute for International Economics. More than 50% of NATO funding comes from the U.S., while other allies, like the United Kingdom, France and Germany, have contributed between 4% and 8% to NATO funding in recent years.
Hegseth also defended the US negotiating strategy with Russia on the war in Ukraine.
NATO comprises more than 30 countries and was originally formed in 1949 to halt the spread of the Soviet Union.
