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.
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…..
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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!!!
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