U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is turning up the heat on NATO allies, pushing hard for them to commit to a bold new defense spending goal—5% of GDP. That’s more than double the current 2% benchmark, and he’s not just tossing around suggestions. Hegseth says he’s confident a consensus is within reach ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague, and he’s making it clear this isn’t a polite request—it’s a necessity. In meetings held recently in Brussels, he emphasized that deterrence doesn’t come from symbolic meetings or vague pledges. It comes from tanks, troops, aircraft, and the readiness to use them.

“Hard power,” as he calls it, is the real backbone of alliance security—and it can’t just be the United States footing the bill.

Not every country is on board yet, but Hegseth has been

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