US Tells Europe to Handle Its Own Defense

THE NEWS

President Donald Trump’s administration, under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, wants NATO allies to shoulder more of Europe’s own defense burdens.

In a forceful speech at a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels, Hegseth demanded European nations raise military spending from NATO’s 2-percent standard to 5 percent of GDP — calling current arrangements “imbalanced.”

The U.S., facing soaring deficits and a global security pivot toward China, insists it can no longer serve as Europe’s principal protector without significant shared costs.

NATO's last annual report revealed the U.S. represents 53 percent of the GDP of all countries in the alliance. But the U.S. makes 67 percent of alliance defense expenditures. Only 11 of the alliance's 32 members hit that benchmark in that report.

Among the countries not hitting the 2 percent mark are Canada, France, and Germany—all wealthy countries that could significantly contribute to the alliance's defense.

TIMELINE

• Post-Cold War Era (1990s–2010s):

• Most European NATO members cut or freeze military spending after the Cold War, assuming the U.S. would handle major threats.

• The British military, Europe's biggest defense spender and the leading U.S. ally, has only around 150 deployable tanks and a dozen serviceable long-range artillery pieces (The Wall Street Journal, December 2023).

• France, the next biggest spender, has fewer than 90 heavy artillery pieces, equivalent to what Russia loses roughly every month in Ukraine.

• Denmark has no heavy artillery, submarines, or air-defense systems.

• Germany's army has enough ammunition for only two days of battle.

• February 2022: Russia invades Ukraine, prompting renewed scrutiny of Europe’s limited defense capabilities.

• Late 2023–2024: Tensions rise as the U.S. points out key allies (France, Germany, Canada) still underinvest in defense, despite the Ukraine conflict.

• Early 2025: President Trump floats unorthodox foreign policy ideas (e.g., renaming the Gulf of Mexico, annexing Greenland), while simultaneously pressuring NATO to increase defense budgets.

• Ukraine Defense Contact Group Meeting (Brussels, 2025):
  

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demands NATO allies aim for 5 percent of GDP in military spending.

• He rules out sending U.S. troops to Ukraine under any peace guarantee.

• European leaders express alarm and swiftly convene their own emergency security talks.

REACTIONS

Pete Hegseth (U.S. Defense Secretary): Declares the U.S. will not “tolerate an imbalanced relationship” any longer, urging allies to surpass NATO’s existing 2-percent goal and “own responsibility for [their] own security.”

Emmanuel Macron (France): Immediately calls an emergency meeting of European officials, acknowledging that Europe must prepare to defend itself if the U.S. prioritizes other global hotspots like China.

Mark Rutte (NATO Secretary General): Concedes the alliance has historically underfunded defense, backing calls for a “rebalancing” of obligations.

President Andrzej Duda (Poland): Highlights Poland’s near 5-percent military budget and urges other nations to follow suit, referencing the threat from Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Ukraine): Proposes a “European armed forces,” expressing frustration over potential U.S.-Russia discussions that exclude Kyiv.

NATO Critics: Point out the U.S. has long overextended financially; however, some warn that shifting the burden too abruptly could fracture the alliance.

WHAT'S NEXT

Europe faces urgent pressure to boost defense budgets, with some countries (like Poland) already approaching Hegseth’s 5-percent target.

The U.S. budget crisis intensifies scrutiny of defense costs, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is poised to uncover more Pentagon waste — but major strategic decisions remain about balancing domestic fiscal health with enduring security commitments abroad.