The head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, praised the increase in defense budgets in NATO, especially in Germany, and warned allies to respect their obligations.

Pete Hegseth, the head of the Pentagon, stated at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California that he observes progress in Germany's defense spending and praised NATO allies for increasing military budgets. He emphasized the importance of the NATO agreement from June, which sets the goal for member states to allocate at least 3.5% of GDP for defense, plus 1.5% for related projects, aiming to reach 5% by 2035. Germany intends to increase its defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2029. Hegseth mentioned that allies who do not meet their obligations could face consequences, highlighting the U.S. expectations for similar contributions from all NATO members.