U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Saturday that he sees positive developments in Germany’s defense spending and praised NATO allies for significantly increasing their military budgets.
Speaking at a defense forum in California, Hegseth welcomed NATO’s agreement to substantially boost defense expenditures in the coming years.
“Model allies — such as Israel, South Korea, Poland, Germany increasingly, the Baltic states, and others — will receive special treatment from us,” he said.
According to him, the United States expects similar contributions from other allies, warning that those who fail to meet their obligations may face consequences.
The NATO agreement reached in June — driven by Russia’s war in Ukraine and calls from U.S. President Donald Trump — requires member states to spend at least 3.5% of their GDP on defense, plus an additional 1.5% on defense-related projects such as infrastructure.
By 2035, total defense spending is expected to reach 5% of GDP — the highest level since the Cold War. /REL/
