US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said that European NATO members need to rely less on the United States for their security. He urged them to increase their own military spending. Hegseth explained that the US is now focusing more on protecting its own borders after many years of guarding others’ borders in faraway places.
In a speech at the Army War College in Pennsylvania, Hegseth marked his first 100 days in office. He said the Pentagon is shifting its focus. Part of this change includes encouraging allies to share more of the defense burden. He praised countries like Poland and the Baltic states for promising to spend 5% of their GDP on defense. He noted that NATO’s old goal of 2% is no longer enough because of the threats Europe faces today.
Hegseth also said that the US wants European countries to take more responsibility for helping Ukraine. This is part of a wider shift in American defense policy.
Meanwhile, the European Union plans to borrow large amounts of money to boost its military strength. European leaders say this is necessary to deter Russia. However, Moscow claims it has no plans to attack NATO countries.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized Europe’s actions in a recent interview with Le Point, a French magazine. He said that by following the policies of former US President Joe Biden, Europe has harmed itself. Peskov pointed out that Europe used to have cheap energy from Russia and low-cost security from the US. Now, it has lost both.
According to Peskov, this has led to economic troubles and the risk of deindustrialization. He believes Europe is sticking to a failed plan. At the same time, the current US government under President Donald Trump is trying to negotiate peace between Russia and Ukraine.
The Trump administration has also had disagreements with European countries. These include trade issues and a conflict with Denmark over Greenland. The US has shown interest in controlling the island, which has caused tension with the Danish government.
