NATO allies cannot rely on the United States to defend them and need to step up themselves, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
The military alliance’s defense ministers are gathering in Brussels a few weeks before a high-stakes summit of NATO leaders in The Hague.
Hegseth insisted that all NATO ally had to their part in the continent’s defense.
Trump’s 5 percent defense spending target seemed far-fetched.
NATO defense ministers in Brussels are expected to pave the way for a new defense spending goal — the questions are now when, and how.
The allies of NATO must take action on their own because they cannot depend on the United States to defend them. S. Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, said.
Ahead of a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels on Thursday, Hegseth told reporters, “The United States is proud to be here, to stand with our allies, but our message is going to continue to be clear: It’s deterrence and peace through strength, but it cannot be reliance.”.
“Reliance on America cannot and will not be an option. U cannot be the only one. A. capacity,” he stated.
A few weeks before a crucial NATO leaders’ summit in The Hague, the military alliance’s defense ministers are meeting in Brussels.
It is generally anticipated that the ministers will reach a consensus on revised capability targets, which entail new specifications for military hardware, and open the door to a deal later this month on a new defense spending target of 5% of GDP.
In the last few months, U. S. . President Donald Trump has frequently questioned Washington’s adherence to Article 5, NATO’s mutual defense clause.
“We believe it is reasonable that our allies be committed to Article 3 as well, but we still remain committed to Article 5,” the U.S. S. Matthew Whitaker, the ambassador to NATO, told reporters on Wednesday that the military alliance must increase its ability to withstand an armed assault.
In order to defend the continent, Hegseth emphasized that each NATO ally had a role to play. He mentioned that he is certain an agreement will be reached in The Hague. “The reason I’m here is to make sure every country in NATO understands every shoulder has to be to the plow, every country has to contribute at that level of 5 percent,” he said.
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