Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says European members of NATO should take the primary role in the defense of Europe.
"The begins with increasing defense spending," Hegseth said from NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday. "2% is a start as President Trump has said."
President Donald Trump has long accused allies of underpaying and says NATO should ratchet up its defense spending target from the current two percent of GDP to five percent
Spurred on by Russia's grinding war on Ukraine, last year 23 of NATO's 32 members reached the two-percent level.
Given the level of the threat from Moscow, there is a clear acceptance that spending must rise and NATO chief Mark Rutte has already said it could need to go "north" of 3%.
Hegseth suggested that it should be 5%.
"Our partners must do far more for Europe's defense," Hegseth. "We must make NATO great again."
Hegseth says the Trump administration "deeply belives in alliances" but warned that President Trump will not allow "anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker."
