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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a stern warning to Washington’s NATO and European partners on Saturday, declaring that countries failing to boost their defence spending sufficiently will trigger a major shift in how the US conducts international business.
Speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit in Singapore, the Pentagon chief noted that European allies ignored polite pleas to invest in their own defence for too long, though he acknowledged they are finally attempting to catch up.
His comments come amid struggles from several NATO members to meet the 5 per cent GDP defence spending target they pledged last year.
The defence secretary’s warnings align with recent statements from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who flagged potential US troop cuts in Europe as Washington shifts focus to other global threats.
Hegseth extended his critique to Asia, arguing that regional security has rested disproportionately on American military power while local partners allowed their own capabilities to atrophy.
However, he praised countries like Australia, the Philippines, Japan, and especially South Korea for investing heavily in real combat power rather than treating war like an academic exercise.
Hegseth emphasised that strong alliances require every nation to have skin in the game, explicitly telling partners that the US will no longer tolerate freeloading.
When a New Zealand delegate asked if a plan to raise their country’s defence spending from 1 per cent to 2 per cent of GDP still constituted freeloading, Hegseth candidly confirmed that 2 per cent is not enough.
While he noted he holds nothing against New Zealand, he stressed that Washington demands its partners step up significantly.
