US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized NATO allies today at a meeting of defense ministers of the Alliance countries in Brussels, the Associated Press reported.
Hegseth also announced a six-month process for the Pentagon to rethink the way American forces are deployed in Europe, with the results depending on how quickly NATO member states take responsibility for their own security.
"There will be a real rethink. "It will be about ensuring that NATO moves quickly and irreversibly towards Europe taking the lead, taking primary responsibility for Europe's defense," the US secretary told his fellow ministers in Brussels.
Hegseth criticized European allies for not providing access to their bases for US forces to attack Iran, calling the decisions "shameful."
"These allies have put America's sons and daughters, our sons and daughters, at risk by denying them the access they deserve," he said.
Hegseth said America's allies in Europe must take the lead in defending their own continent.
At a meeting of NATO defense ministers, he called for a rethink of the Alliance and for it to become an organization that can deter any threat.
For too long, NATO has been only on paper and in a one-way street, we are ending that, the American minister was categorical.
Some allies are already on track to achieve 5 percent of GDP defense spending, but we cannot ignore the fact that some are lagging behind, Reuters reported.
America cannot pay more for NATO defense than allies, Pete Hegseth also said.