US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth again criticized America’s European allies on Saturday at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, calling on them to further strengthen their military capabilities and take a more pragmatic approach to international relations.
In his speech, the head of the Pentagon welcomed several Asian countries which, according to him, base their cooperation with Washington on common interests rather than on ideological considerations.
“When our interests converge, we act together with determination. When our interests diverge, we adapt with pragmatism, without drama and without preaching. I think Western Europe could learn from this,” he declared.
Echoing the Trump administration’s recurring criticism of Europeans, Pete Hegseth said that the latter had for too long favored “hollow globalist rhetoric about an international order based on rules while European capitals opened their borders wide and emptied their armed with their substance.”
The American official also suggested that significant changes could soon take place regarding the American military presence in Europe.
“Europe and NATO have important decisions to make and you will know more soon,” he said.
For several years, Donald Trump has demanded that European countries take more responsibility for their own security. Under his leadership, NATO set the objective of devoting up to 5% of GDP to defense, a threshold that most members of the Alliance are still far from reaching.
These statements come as Washington is considering a reduction in certain military personnel deployed on the European continent. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently told NATO allies that they must prepare to operate with a more limited American presence.
