U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on NATO burden-sharing and spending disparities at the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels, Belgium:

“We are very much committed to the NATO alliance and to our allies, but without burden-sharing, without creating the right set of incentives for European countries to invest, then we would be forced to attempt to be everywhere for everybody all the time. Which in a world of fiscal restraints…is just not reality…you have to spend more on your defense for your country on that continent.”

Secretary Hegseth has drawn fire for his comments yesterday that were seen by many as an abandonment of the European continent. Today, Hegseth made clear that no such abandonment was taking place, but should European partners fail to step up, the U.S. will not provide a conventional security umbrella indefinitely.