Raise defence spending or else, Hegseth tells NATO, Europe

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Singapore: U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a stern warning to NATO and global partners on Saturday, declaring that the era of the United States subsidising the defence of wealthy nations has officially ended.

Speaking at the prestigious Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth echoed the strict financial ultimatums long championed by President Donald Trump. He emphasized that Washington expects international allies to significantly increase their domestic military spending to safeguard their own regional security.

The Pentagon chief explained that the United States requires real strategic partners rather than heavily reliant protectorates. He noted that a robust, durable alliance is entirely impossible unless every single participant maintains significant ‘skin in the game’ and rejects freeloading.

To achieve this level of self-reliant deterrence, Washington expects its international partners to elevate their overall defence spending to at least 3.5% of their gross domestic product (GDP).