US won't subsidize wealthy allies' defense, says Pentagon chief

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared an end to American subsidies for the defense of wealthy allies, signaling a shift in Washington's approach to international security partnerships. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth asserted that the era of the United States funding the defense of affluent nations is over. "We need partners, not protectorates. We are looking for alliances built on shared responsibility, not dependence," he stated, according to Western media reports.

Hegseth linked the push for increased defense spending among allies to the U.S. strategy of reallocating resources to the Indo-Pacific region amidst China's growing influence. This call for greater burden-sharing has been a persistent issue within NATO, where member states agreed in 2014 to allocate at least 2 percent of their GDP to defense. However, many European countries have struggled to meet this target over the years.

Data from NATO indicates that for the first time in 2025, all 32 member states are projected to reach the 2 percent threshold. Nevertheless, the United States still accounted for approximately 60 to 62 percent of NATO's total military expenditures last year. During a Q&A session following his speech, Hegseth even characterized the 2 percent contribution as a form of "free-riding" on American military capabilities.

Last year, NATO members agreed on a new target of 5 percent of GDP for defense and security spending by 2035, with a core defense target of 3.5 percent. This new objective, however, has met with objections from several European nations, underscoring the ongoing tension over defense contributions within the alliance.