The defense minister of , , made sharp new statements against Washington’s European allies, accusing them of years of inaction in boosting their defense spending and warning that they and NATO are facing critical decisions for European security.
In particular, he repeated the attack on Washington’s European allies, accusing them of “for too long” ignoring calls to strengthen their defenses and calling on them to “stop the preaching.”
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference, he also warned that “important decisions” are coming on security in Europe.
He praised the Asian countries that he believes “have long realized that the key to a sustainable partnership is not idealistic values, but concrete convergence of national interests.”
“When our interests converge, we act together with determination. When our interests diverge, we adapt realistically, without drama and without preaching. I think western Europe could learn a lesson.”
Echoing the Trump administration’s highly critical stances towards Europeans, Hegseth accused European countries of having for too long adopted “a hollow globalist rhetoric on the issue of a rules-based international order while European capitals opened wide their borders and emptied their armies of content”.
“Europe and NATO have important decisions to make and you will know them soon,” he said.
“For too long, calls to our European allies to spend more on their defense have fallen on deaf ears. They are finally starting to make up for lost ground.”
Donald Trump is demanding that Europeans shoulder more burdens for European security. He has lobbied for, and ultimately won, a pledge to increase NATO defense spending to 5% of GDP and intends to reduce the US military presence in Europe.
The atmosphere has been heavy in recent weeks due to the refusal of European countries to support Trump in the war he launched, without the slightest consultation or information, against Iran.
The US is “more than capable” of restarting the war
Earlier today, Pete Hegseth said: “Our ability to restart if we need to … we are more than capable,” Hegseth said in Singapore. “Our reserves are more than adequate, both there and around the world, so we are in a very good position,” he added.
Hegseth, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier forum for defense, military and diplomat leaders, said the US has not turned its back on the Asia-Pacific region despite being at loggerheads with Iran.
“We can do two things at once. We are strengthening our defense industrial base so that very soon we are building double, triple, quadruple munitions, to ensure that all our (operational) plans are adequately funded around the world,” he said.
The Pentagon chief said President Trump is “patient” and wants to strike a “grand deal” that will ensure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons.
On Friday, Trump said he would meet in a secure White House room to make a “final decision” on a proposal to end the war in Iran, which would extend a truce from early April for another 60 days, giving negotiators time to reach a permanent solution to end the conflict.
The war launched by the US and Israel on February 28 has claimed thousands of lives, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, and caused global economic turmoil as it led to a spike in energy prices due to Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.
