Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth issued a bold ultimatum to NATO allies, demanding a big commitment by the upcoming Hague summit, in line with President Trump’s global strategy shift.
President Donald Trump promised to shake up the world order.
Now his Defense Secretary is putting the pressure on NATO members.
And Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth just delivered a devastating ultimatum to NATO.
Hegseth drops bombshell on NATO defense spending
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made it crystal clear to NATO allies on Thursday that they need to commit to President Trump’s demand for a massive boost in defense spending — and they don’t have much time to get on board.
Speaking at a gathering of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Hegseth laid down the law about what’s expected from America’s European allies.
"To be an alliance, you got to be more than flags. You got to be formations. You got to be more than conferences. You need to be, keep combat ready capabilities," Hegseth declared as he arrived at the meeting.
The Pentagon chief didn’t mince words about the timeline either.
"We’re here to continue the work that President Trump started, which is a commitment to 5 percent defense spending across this alliance, which we think will happen," Hegseth said, adding: "It has to happen by the summit at The Hague later this month."
Trump has been pushing NATO members to dramatically increase their defense spending from the current 2% of GDP target to a whopping 5%.
It’s a massive jump that would fundamentally change how Europe approaches its own security.
Hegseth expressed confidence after meeting with NATO defense ministers, saying: "I’m very encouraged by what we heard in there. Countries in there are well exceeding 2% and we think very close, almost near consensus, on a 5% commitment to NATO."
The 5% plan that could reshape NATO
The Trump administration isn’t just throwing out random numbers.
There’s a specific strategy behind the 5% demand that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has been working to accommodate.
Hegseth backed a proposal that would split the spending: "This alliance, we believe, in a matter of weeks, will be committing to 5%: 3.5% in hard military and 1.5% in infrastructure and defence-related activities, that combination constitutes a real commitment."
The breakdown makes strategic sense from Trump’s perspective.
The 3.5% would go toward actual military hardware — tanks, missiles, jets, and troops that can fight wars.
The additional 1.5% would cover defense-related infrastructure, cybersecurity, and other supporting capabilities.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker confirmed the broader approach, saying the plan "also includes things like mobility, necessary infrastructure, cyber security. It is definitely more than missiles, tanks and howitzers."
But Whitaker made sure to clarify: "But at the same time, it’s got to be defence-related."
This isn’t just about throwing money around — it’s about building real military capability that can actually deter America’s enemies.
Europe starting to get the message
The pressure campaign is already working.
Germany, historically one of NATO’s biggest laggards on defense spending, is now backing Trump’s 5% target. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said: "The result is indeed the 5% demanded by President Trump, that he believes are necessary, and we are following him in this respect."
This is the same Germany that struggled for years to even meet the basic 2% target.
Now they’re talking about more than doubling their defense spending to keep Trump happy.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was so confident about the momentum that he told Fox News all NATO nations "will have agreed on a goal" of reaching 5% defense spending over the next decade by the time of next month’s summit.
Even countries like the United Kingdom and Poland are getting on board with major spending increases.
The U.K. government said this week that it aimed to increase defense spending to 2.5% by 2027 and wants to increase that to 3% of GDP in the next Parliament, by 2034.
Some allies still dragging their feet
Not everyone is ready to open their wallets just yet.
Spain is showing reluctance to the 5% target, with Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles saying: "We think that this 2% is enough to meet the responsibilities we have committed to. What is important is that each country is able to meet the objectives it has set itself."
Spain’s position is exactly the kind of thinking that drove Trump crazy during his first term.
They want to dictate their own terms instead of stepping up to meet America’s security commitments.
According to the Financial Times, Spain is the sole holdout on the 5% issue, despite the fact that Madrid only committed to hit the existing 2% spending mark this year.
Other countries like Italy and Canada are also seen as potential holdouts.
Canada spent just 1.3% of GDP on defense in 2024, according to NATO estimates, even less than Italy, Portugal or Montenegro.
Trump’s strategy is working
The genius of Trump’s approach is that he’s not just making demands — he’s fundamentally changing how NATO thinks about burden-sharing.
If all NATO members spent 5% of GDP on defense in 2023, their expenditures would have surpassed actual total global defense spending. The U.S. share of NATO’s expenditures would have shrunk from the actual 68.7% to 53.8%.
That’s exactly what Trump wants — America providing leadership without being Europe’s security blanket.
As of 2023, U.S. defense spending made up nearly 69% of NATO’s total, while the next highest proportion was from the United Kingdom at roughly 5.4%.
Trump ran on making America’s allies pay their fair share, and he’s delivering on that promise.
The European countries have been freeloading off American military power for decades while spending their money on socialist programs instead of defense.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker made it clear this isn’t just talk: "This is not going to be just a pledge. This is going to be a commitment."
The June summit in The Hague will be the moment of truth.
Either NATO allies step up and commit to 5% defense spending, or they’ll have to explain to President Trump why they think America should keep subsidizing their security.
Based on what we’re seeing from Germany and other key allies, it looks like Trump’s hardball approach is getting results.
