U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has proposed a significant increase in defense spending, emphasizing that the United States should allocate more than 3% of its gross domestic product (GDP) to military capabilities. Speaking in Stuttgart, Germany, the headquarters of the U.S. Africa Command, Hegseth criticized the Biden administration for what he described as a historical underinvestment in the military.
Hegseth also called on North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members to raise their defense budgets to 5% of GDP, more than double the current target. He argued that this increase is necessary to reflect the need for robust investment in defense across the European continent.
However, achieving the 5% target has proven to be a challenging proposition for many European nations. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated his commitment to NATO spending but stated that the 5% demand is too high. For Germany, reaching this target would require over €200 billion annually, a substantial amount given that the country’s federal budget does not exceed €500 billion.
In addition to defense spending, Hegseth addressed the situation in Ukraine, reiterating previous promises of delivering a rapid peace deal. When questioned about the possibility of deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine, he stated, \"We're not sending U.S. troops to Ukraine.\"
In December 2024, the U.S. Senate approved the $895 billion National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year 2025, representing a one percent increase in military spending from the previous year. According to the World Bank and data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the United States spent approximately 3.4% of its GDP on defense in 2023.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
