Pete Hegseth, the American Minister of Defense, attacks Europeans, called to refrain from “moralizing”

The American Minister of Defense, Pete Hegseth, once again attacked Washington’s European allies on Saturday May 30, accusing them of having « trop longtemps » ignored calls to strengthen their defense. The leader, who is in Singapore for a major defense conference, the Shangri-La Dialogue, warned of« importantes décisions » to come regarding security in Europe.

He praised Asian countries which, according to him, “have long understood that the basis of a lasting partnership is not based on idealistic values, but on a concrete alignment of national interests.” “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.”at-il déclaré.

Taking up the very critical position of the Donald Trump administration towards the Europeans, Pete Hegseth criticized them for having held out for a long time “hollow globalist rhetoric about a rules-based international order while European capitals threw open their borders and emptied their armies of substance.”

Objective: reduce American military aid

Donald Trump demands that Europeans take more responsibility for their own security. He wants to reduce the American military presence on the Old Continent, a subject that has come back to the table in recent weeks in the face of their refusal to support his war against Iran.

“Europe and NATO have important decisions to make and you will know more soon,” a déclaré samedi Pete Hegseth. “For too long, polite appeals to our European allies to spend more on their own defense have gone unheeded.”he regretted. “They’re finally catching up.”

Under pressure from Donald Trump, the Atlantic Alliance set itself the objective last year of collectively investing 5% of its members’ GDP in defense, but most of the countries concerned are still very far from it.

At a recent NATO meeting in Sweden, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed to Europeans that they would have to learn to live with fewer American soldiers.