WASHINGTON, February 13. /TASS/. European leaders must take primary responsibility for ensuring the continent’s security, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said at a press conference in Brussels following a meeting of NATO defense ministers.
"Leaders of our European allies should take primary responsibility for defense of the continent," he said.
"It's an imperative given the strategic realities that we face, and that begins with increasing defense spending," the Pentagon chief added. "2% is a start, as President Trump has said, but it's not enough. Nor is 3%, nor is 4%, more like 5%. Real investment, real urgency," he noted.
Over recent days, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted that he would push NATO allies to increase their spending on defense to 5% of GDP.
The alliance countries set the task to bring their military spending to 2% of GDP at the summit in Wales in September 2014, motivating it by the "Russian threat" in connection with the reunification of Crimea with Russia. In July 2023, the Vilnius summit decided that 2% of GDP should become the minimum level of defense spending for NATO countries, rather than a target.