US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has insisted that NATO must return to its core of a fully military alliance capable of deterrence and leading European defense. Hegseth was speaking to the media ahead of today's meeting of the alliance's defense ministers in Brussels.
He said many NATO countries were making efforts to meet military spending targets, others needed to make more efforts and the US would talk to them. It's important for friends to be honest with each other, Hegseth said.
He noted that the US is also increasing defense spending, as it expects its allies to do. The message to the world is that we understand today's global challenges and we are not only discussing them, but also taking measures, he summarized.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte noted that the United States continues to provide military support to Ukraine and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to participate in part of today's meeting of defense ministers. Rutte said in response to a question that he understands the need to restore dialogue with Moscow, but clarified that this is a European discussion in which the alliance is not participating. Asked about the pact's readiness to defend itself in the event of a possible war and against the backdrop of the United States' intentions to reduce its presence in Europe, Rutte expressed confidence that if there is a war, the allies will win it.