Hegseth Warns NATO Allies Some Will 'Fail' U.S. Defense Review

NATO member states committed to hiking defense spending last year, following pressure from Donald Trump's White House for Europe to shoulder a greater responsibility for its own security.

Hegseth said in May that the U.S. demands a minimum defense spending commitment of 3.5% of GDP from its allies and partners, adding that Washington will prioritize working with these "model allies."

Last month, he praised countries such as the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for stepping up and sharing the burdens of defense and alliances, while continuing to lambast Europe.

Trump has remained critical of NATO, threatening to withdraw the U.S. from the alliance over its reluctance to assist with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

In dollar terms, the U.S. remains the alliance's biggest spender on defense by far. NATO data shows that the U.S. spent an estimated $845 billion on defense last year, dwarfing the $559 billion spent by the rest of the alliance combined.