US Defense Secretary Signals Major Shift in NATO Priorities, Urges European Defense Independence

In a pivotal speech that has sent shockwaves through NATO, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that America's security priorities no longer primarily focus on European defense, throwing the world's largest military alliance into disarray.

The United States faces consequential threats to our homeland. We must — and we are — focusing on security of our own borders, Hegseth declared to nearly 50 of Ukraine's Western backers.

The announcement included several significant policy shifts: Ukraine will not regain all its territory from Russia, will not be permitted to join NATO, and the alliance will not participate in any future peacekeeping operations in Ukraine. Furthermore, European nations would need to fund and manage such operations without American troops.

To say that it's the biggest and most robust alliance in history is true, historically speaking. But the real question is will that still be the case in 10 or 15 years, responded French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu, highlighting the gravity of this strategic pivot.

The shift comes as Russia has dramatically increased its military spending, with the International Institute for Strategic Studies reporting a 42% growth in 2024 to $145.9 billion. When adjusted for purchasing power parity, this equals approximately $462 billion, surpassing Europe's collective defense spending.

In response to these challenges, Hegseth urged European NATO members to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP, while sidestepping questions about whether the US would match this target. The US currently spends about 3.4% of its GDP on defense.

While the US maintains its NATO membership, with Hegseth confirming America is not planning to leave the alliance, this policy shift marks a significant change in the 75-year-old organization's dynamics and raises questions about the future of transatlantic security cooperation.