Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is in Brussels, Belgium, for a NATO summit and meeting of all NATO defense ministers. As noted by Secretary Hegseth, “going forward, our annual NATO dues will be contingent on other countries meeting their defense spending targets; where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues contributions will go down,” Hegseth said. “NATO will be a two-way street. It’s only common sense. America cannot care for or pay more for Europe’s defense than our allies do.”
Specifically pointing toward Canada and Prime Minister Mark Carney, Secretary Hegseth noted some are not fulfilling their obligations while simultaneously talking about “middle powers” assembling. WATCH (prompted)
PRESS STATEMENT – The War Department plans to review its posture and footprint in Europe to determine how the U.S. is supporting NATO, how partners are supporting NATO and whether what’s happening on the ground reflects what President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth believe the alliance should be.
“We’re doubling down on our effort to make NATO what it always was supposed to be: a balanced alliance with Europe in the lead for its own defense — NATO 3.0,” Hegseth said today during an address to NATO in Brussels.
The review, Hegseth said, would last up to six months — though it could be shorter — and will take input from both U.S. and European military commands.
“It will involve consultations with the U.S. Congress and with our allies,” Hegseth said. “It will be designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe, stepping up to ensure our forces are postured for America’s global needs and stepping up to make sure that our access, basing and overflight are clearly delineated and assured.”
Since Trump took office in 2025, Hegseth and the president have been unwavering in what it is they expect from NATO: that the alliance will pull its own weight in terms of defense funds spent and that Europe will take the lead in maintaining its defense.
“Going forward, our annual NATO dues will be contingent on other countries meeting their defense spending targets; where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues contributions will go down,” Hegseth said. “NATO will be a two-way street. It’s only common sense. America cannot care for or pay more for Europe’s defense than our allies do.”
The U.S., under the president, has pushed NATO partners to contribute 5% of gross domestic product toward defense. And Hegseth said many nations are already on board with that — as well as with other efforts needed to strengthen the NATO alliance, such as rebuilding the defense industrial base. (read more)
I watched this vid yesterday. SoW Hegseth was excellent. He spells out everything. He doesn’t mince words. Never down the road can EU/UK ever say they didn’t see what is coming…..major drawdown of our troops over there.
Canada will keep it;s head in the sand though.
Per their usual MO.
Ever since Trudeau pere, Canada has cynically viewed Uncle Sam as her security guarantor. while at the same time kicking dirt on his shoes.
With the UK refusing to protect 250,000 of their young girls from Muslim rape gangs, what makes anyone believe they will defend the rest of their nation?
Wow. That’s an excellent analogy.
What would they defend? Their honor? Their legacy? Their sovereignty?
Apart from not looking after our indigenous population, what or whome are we defending against?
An Invasion\ from the armed forces of the Azores?
Better to spend some of our taxes to mend the potholes.
Sixie!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT.
❤️❤️✝️❤️❤️🤝🫵
Yeppers. And they’ve FAFO’d a thing or two by disallowing the use of strategic air bases during the Iran Op.
Biggest mistake those NATO countries could have ever made. We have moved from the FA to the FO phase.
There is no need for NATO…..
They will just do what the deep state always does…..
Wait it out for the next toss of the dice….
Easy pesy when the dice are loaded…..
The best course would be to restructure NATO around the nations who want to play ball. Starting with the eastern Europeans who know exactly what the alternative would be.
What would the alternative be? Looking under their beds for scary Russians?
The best alternative would be to terminate NATO permanently. It hasn’t served any useful purpose for 35 years, and it only drains taxpayer funds and provides a vehicle for deep state globalists to extend their tentacles. Shut it down.
Nope, as soon as we get out of NATO, we will be forced to attack Turkey on behalf of our ‘greatest ally’
FFS….ya’ll never stop…ever….blah, blah, blabbity, blah.
Just like there is TDS, there also appears to be a lot of people who suffer from JDS. So sad.
The only need is and always has been,,, location location location. Just as we have seen with the Iran conflict our bases (on their soil) is a launching or pass thru point for US military.
But you’re absolutely right about no need for NATO. Our CONgress critters/criminals couldn’t see this with laser beam focus if they tried.
Best case is we assess the most advantageous launch/pass through points identified by country, keep or maintain a small base of troop/cadre support and call it a day. Any other bases and force footprints get retrograded back to our western hemisphere. US/Central/South Am..
Here’s to praying for more divine intervention by our Lord and Savior. Amen 🙏🏽
Good.
Let the squealing commence!
Follow through on it and the cost of green policies, lower labor productivity, 3rd world migration, and healthcare in the EU will get priced to market rather than subsidized by the U.S. taxpayer.
NATO is EU welfare, corporate welfare, bribery and grift all in one program. U.S. pols are in on it too.
Yes, and that was the case even before they started the money laundering operation in the Ukraine.
Just get out. There is no USSR. There’s no need for NATO.
Pithy, and true.
And the anti American UN at the same time!
Why should the U.S. citizens fork over 750 billion annually of a trillion dollar budget to a globalist group of worthless globalists countries
Can’t think of one. Anybody else?
Have to insert SD’s Mickey here:
Middle finger to the “middle powers.” Hegseth has a way of expression.
EU countires are in a mess internally and cannot afford to be spending large sums on the military because of their interfering in Ukraine and consequent fear of Russia. They need to clean up their own house and deal with the crime, corruption, mismanagement and overregulation because of Brussels.
Yes. And a message like this from the USA, along with drawdowns and spending cuts commensurate with Euro spending will be the trigger that forces Europe to do that house cleaning. In the past, we just subsidized the intransigence and they were never forced to confront their own problems.
We pretty much have to approach Europe the way we approached Iran, with maybe less bombing.
I agree. I consider them an enemy at this point. They have a very similar ideology to the old USSR. Destruction of the West is their primary objective.
Or at least suicidal tendencies. And NATO is not a suicide pact.
I’ve got a better idea. Skip the summit, and the cycle of stern warnings, and start drawing down the troops instead.
Last month’s drawdown of 5000 troops from Germany will take 6-12 months, and after said drawdown the troop numbers will be identical to what they were in Trump’s first term. This is just a rollback of the increase under Biden.
Trump has another 2 1/2 years. The logistics of troop drawdown don’t happen overnight, nor did our overspend on NATO. We’ve been sucked dry since 1949. Our protection, in both blood and treasure, is what has allowed the generous welfare state to flourish throughout Europe. Paradoxically, this has played no small part in its downfall. Nothing sharpens focus like some real skin in the game, and that’s not gonna happen with a reluctant cash infusion alone.
Treat our allies like spoiled children, and it should be no surprise that you get spoiled children for allies. Meanwhile, our newly homed troops can protect OUR borders, for a change.
When you are given an allowance for not doing any chores you don’t appreciate that allowance because it didn’t cost you anything. Time to take away their allowance unless they start doing their chores. I think President Trump is on the right path.
Same as with welfare. At first, most are appreciative and thankful. Then, before long, they feel entitled to it and have a fit if they lose benefits.
BOOM! 💥
Reality detonates!
Watch out for the shrapnel of truth!
😎
Kicking *ss on all fronts! It’s amazing to me to sit back and watch the strategies of our great President play out. Without CTH I wouldn’t be nearly as informed as I am. Thanks Sundance!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Sorry, not sorry. Americans, seemingly, pay for “everything” and many Americans are struggling with the high costs of living, while I do acknowlege that our standards are very high. We should not have one homeless Vet, that’s for sure, nor one hungry child (I acknowledge there are terrible parents), nor an aged person who loses their home to property taxes and medical needs, etc. I’m not a socialist, and I understand there is tremendous fraud, BUT a lot of the fraud seems to occur when our money goes overseas. Just sayin’. IMHO.
Cut taxes. Prosecute fraud. Cut off all the grifters and leeches.
Deport over 100 million illegals…….
Prosecute and jail their enablers.
Hoo boy! That’s some tough love right there. The free ride is over. Gotta pay for your own defense. About time.
No ambiguity there!
Clear, concise & short. Love a leader that doesn’t mince their words in deference to their audiences feeowings. So refreshing!!
The look on the face of that woman LOLOLOL!!
p.s. Go Pete!!!
Indeed!
It’s a woman?
That is Radmila Šekerinska, the Deputy Secretary General of NATO, the right hand man… er, woman of Mark Rutte. From Wikipedia:
“Šekerinska is a Macedonian politician who has been serving as the Deputy Secretary General of NATO since December 2024. Previously she served as the Defense Minister of North Macedonia and a former leader of the Social Democrat Union of Macedonia (SDSM). Šekerinska was previously Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and National Coordinator for Foreign Assistance of North Macedonia and also was the acting Prime Minister of North Macedonia from 12 May 2004 until 12 June 2004 and from 3 November 2004 until 15 December 2004. She was elected 5 November 2006 the SDUM leader. She is the first female (acting) prime minister of North Macedonia.”
She has been involved with the Open Society Institute for 30 years and has also been recognized as a “Global Leader of Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum. Social Democrat party… OSI… WEF… no wonder she was giving Sec. Hegseth a sour look.
Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth and right now there are a whole bunch of imposters with a bleeding nose. Excellent presentation!
Uh oh the Europeans got spanked. Actually, come to think about it, with them not paying or paying little for so long, we should get a free pass for, say, the next so many years.
I hope that they actually heard what was said. Lots of us over here wouldn’t mind picking up our ball and going home. Done with the game!
Russia Russia Russia FAKE WAR.
PAY UP NATO MEMBERS!!! NOOOOOW! IMAGINE PARENTS OF A FULLY GROWN ADULT CHILD PAYING FOR EVERYTHING WHILE THE CHILD JUST EXISTS AND BAD MOUTHS THE PARENTS EVERY DAY! NO MORE FREE RIDES EUROPEANS AND CANUCKS! DO YOUR SHARE
US Defense spending to go to $1.5 Trillion in 2027?
A year ago, it was not much more than half that.
Do the American People want to spend that much on the Department of
DefenseWar ?get educated friend. That increase is going to support the further implementation of the American System and restoration of American manufacturing. This is the Trump Administration. It’s not the bufoons of the past.
The most significant development regarding next year’s defense spending is the Trump administration’s proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, which requests a total of $1.5 trillion. .
.
Specific allocations include a 34% boost for the Air Force, a 25% increase for both the Army and Navy, and more than a doubling of the Space Force budge.
Good. For decades our military members have not been paid what they’re due. MANY military members had to get food stamps, WIC, just to get by. That’s pathetic!
Meanwhile in Europe, they were living high on the hog, contributing nothing to NATO, charging us tariffs out the ying-yang, stealing all our manufacturing jobs..all with their elbows up, pinky fingers out, noses high in the air. F ‘em.
Yes is your answer, because the dragon is biding their time and just waiting to strike.
I wonder how much of that money will need to be spent on replenishing our military stuff GIVEN to Ukraine and left behind in Afghanistan? At least we got a bunch of oil from Venezuela to pay for the Maduro Mission. Was it Qatar that is going to invest 1T$ in USA per PT’s announcement yesterday. He doesn’t do anything for free. Someone is going to pay, one way or the other. Wonder what collateral Cuba is going to pay us with? Free Gitmo lease (do we pay them$$)?
Those new ships the US Navy wants are not going to build themselves.
Need more time and resources to train up the shipbuilders to turn out all kinds of hulls faster as well as shipyard capacity to build them in. That will have a second order effect downrange on industry with increased demand for steel, electrical components, generators, etc.
You ever considered why an Arleigh Burke destroyer costs some 2.5 billion per hull? There’s a minimum of a couple million man-hours that go into every single one. Everything from design, cutting the steel, welding, machining, blast & paint, pipefitting, cable pull, systems integration & testing and finally delivery to the US Navy.
Here! Here!
Logical Outcome:
NATO countries will likely reduce their defense budgets!
Stop subsidizing the EU parasites.
NICE kitty!! Either ‘skeptical cat’ or ‘let’s kick butt’ kitty……
NATO is a jobs program. A place where folks make or extend careers accomplishing nothing.
So, Spain.
Why does NATO still exist? USSR is long gone. We could save billions by getting the hell out of NATO.
IF we have to stay in NATO, would like to see our forces there be used for mass deportation support now that the EU has voted to implement such.
Excellent! Let’s go!
Excellent! Laying it on the line!
I am really impressed with SoW Hegseth more and more as time goes along.
It was so pleasing to watch Hegseth remind them that they abandoned us when it came to Iran.
I can give him the answer today.
In the 80s there was a popular talk show host in Boston who daily asked President Reagan and all of his Boston listeners: “How can it possibly be that that average American pays more for the defense of Western Europe than the average Western European does? “.…. How indeed.
The answer is “Ask Uncle Sap”
Thank you Secretary of War Pete Hegseth!
This is what I voted for!
Europe complains about America and still expects USA to defend and support them. Is it time for America’s independence and allow Europe to finance their own protection? USA may always participate in NATO, we just need a minor role…bill
MAGA / America First isn’t just our motto, it is our duty!
Pete was great in presenting that concept to NATO 3.0.
Up to 6 months for the completion of the NATO 3.0review ……. up to ……. are the operative words.
Pete quoting President Trump on NATO’s support in 2026: “NATO was tested, and they failed.”
President Trump needs changes in NATO, just like he needs changes in the RINO Senate and in every blue state and city.
Communists have infiltrated organizations, both domestically and foreign, that are crucial to our defense. They must be removed …… now, pronto, time is of the essence.
“if U.S. troops stationed in Europe were not returned to the United States within 10 years, ‘then this whole project [NATO] will have failed’”. Dwight D. Eisenhower 1951.
Hegseth is great and his speech was on point. So the next issue for EU countries, aside from their migration issue, is how do they industrialize with solar and wind? This should be interesting.
Ukraine bombed Moscow yesterday. I think the efforts for peace in Ukraine may have just taken a step back.
The EU has voted to remove “migrants” (illegal aliens). Hardest hit? Angela Merckle. (German Hillary). No doubt removing parasites from welfare rolls will help with their bottom line and free up $$ for their own defense. It will have the added benefit of decreasing crime across Europe. (See report 250,000 gang rapes of British women and girls by Pakistani “men”). The world is looking at you Kier Starmer.
Forcing other NATO countries to step up is part of a sublime readiment for any aggression from Xi. I think I read that the UK has only one war ship….goodness.
This was a moment for the ages! Hegseth tells the 80-year-old “child” that the time has come to move out of the basement and begin to take responsibility for his own welfare. I’m probably being a little harsh using the age of 80, given that Europe was devastated after the war, but then again, it’s actually been 81 years! The Marshall Plan has enabled three generations of slackers, and it’s time to pull the plug, not only on NATO but on the entire EU.
Not that much to “discuss.” Pete laid it out very clearly…pay up, build up your own military and stop depending upon the USA to save your bacon, or we’re out.
Oh, and no thanks to you all for not backing us up with landing privileges or sending ships for the blockade, outta ships? Really?!? Seems you’ve been depending WAY too much on Uncle Sugar. No mas!