Hegseth Confident NATO Will Commit to 5 Percent Defense Spending Target

The U.S. defense secretary told reporters in Brussels that to be an alliance, NATO had to be ’more than flags’ as he arrived for a meeting of defense ministers.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office on May 23, 2025. Evan Vucci/AP Photo

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on June 5 that he was confident NATO members would sign up to Washington’s demand to increase defense spending across the alliance to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

“To be an alliance, you’ve got to be more than flags. You’ve got to be formations. You’ve got to be more than conferences,” Hegseth said as he arrived at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.