Hegseth in Singapore: Allies Spending Too Little on Defence Face Loss of Washington Support

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned NATO members and European nations while visiting Singapore that insufficient defence spending will result in changes to cooperation with Washington. Hegseth stressed that countries failing to raise defence expenditure will face concrete consequences.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a sharp warning to NATO allies and European nations during his visit to Singapore: those who do not sufficiently increase their defence spending may begin to feel clear shifts in their relationships with Washington.

Hegseth has repeatedly criticised NATO members who fail to meet defence spending targets. The US Defence Secretary's message can be seen as a continuation of Washington's pressure on allies to increase their contribution to collective security.

Hegseth is in Singapore as part of a broader visit to the Asia region, which gives him the opportunity to convey US government messages also beyond the NATO context. Towards European allies, the US administration has recently significantly stepped up pressure, demanding that defence spending rise substantially above the previously set two per cent of GDP threshold.