US will be candid in push for ‘hard-line’ NATO alliance, Hegseth says
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: NATO needs to return to its roots as a “hard-line” military alliance
June 18, 2026 06:09
BRUSSELS: NATO needs to return to its roots as a “hard-line” military alliance and the United States will be candid in public and private about countries that need to do more to meet their commitments, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday at NATO headquarters.
“(There are) some that still need to do more, and we will be candid about that, both in private and in public. I think that’s important, friends being honest with friends,” Hegseth said as he arrived for a meeting of defense ministers.
