On February 11, during his first visit to Europe since taking office as head of the Pentagon, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that the continent urgently needs to increase military spending.
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| US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting on February 11 at the US military base in Stuttgart, Germany. (Source: US Africa Command) |
AFP news agency reported that in a meeting broadcast online from a US military base in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany, Mr. Hegseth emphasized: "The European continent deserves to be free from any aggression, but it is the countries in the region that need to invest the most" in defense.
According to the head of the Pentagon, the current urgent situation requires allies to "talk to each other about capabilities, about leadership, about doing more and about burden sharing".
The official reiterated US President Donald Trump's demand that NATO member states increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, double the current target, saying it "reflects the need for investment on the continent". However, few European countries consider this figure feasible.
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, the US Secretary of Defense reaffirmed his commitment to reaching "a quick peace agreement", but clearly stated: "We are not sending US troops to Ukraine".
Mr. Hegseth also revealed Washington's intention to review "the deployment of forces around the world", while repeatedly emphasizing that China is a major threat to the US but noted: "We do not want conflict with China".
On the first stop of his European tour, Minister Hegseth will meet with his NATO counterparts, attend a meeting of pro-Ukrainian countries in Belgium and travel to Poland for talks with the country's leaders.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/lan-dau-tham-chau-au-bo-truong-quoc-phong-my-pete-hegsetg-ra-yeu-cau-cap-bach-tuyen-bo-chac-chan-khong-gui-quan-den-ukraine-304000.html
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