{"id":2615456,"date":"2026-06-18T06:46:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T10:46:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hegseth-to-nato-us-dues-contingent-on-nato-countries-meeting-their-defense-spending-goals\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T06:47:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T10:47:24","slug":"hegseth-to-nato-us-dues-contingent-on-nato-countries-meeting-their-defense-spending-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hegseth-to-nato-us-dues-contingent-on-nato-countries-meeting-their-defense-spending-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Hegseth to NATO: &#8216;US dues contingent on NATO countries meeting their defense spending goals&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhegseth-to-nato-us-dues-contingent-on-nato-countries-meeting-their-defense-spending-goals%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2615456&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>During a speech at NATO headquarters, pete Hegseth, Secretary of War, emphasized the need for NATO to refocus on its original military purpose and increased defense spending among member countries. He criticized the institution\u2019s shift toward non-military issues like climate change and gender equality, labeling it a deviation from its core mission.Hegseth advocated for NATO 3.0, a modernization effort modeled on its cold War-era role, where European allies take lead in defense, reducing dependence on the U.S. and ensuring shared responsibility. He highlighted Europe\u2019s insufficient defense budgets and called for a review-NATO 3.0-to strengthen Europe\u2019s military leadership. Additionally, he announced that U.S. NATO contributions will now be linked to the allies\u2019 meeting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-campaign-slams-trump-nato-stance-the-only-person-he-cares-about-is-himself\/\" title=\"Biden campaign criticizes Trump&#039;s ... stance: &#039;He prioritizes himself only.&#039;\">defense spending targets<\/a>, making the alliance a two-way street, and underscored the importance of transforming NATO into a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >genuine military alliance focused<\/a> on hard power and deterrence.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Secretary of War <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pete-hegseth\/\">Pete Hegseth<\/a> arrived at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday morning to address the alliance. He delivered a stern message about the future of the United States\u2019s involvement with the alliance, specifically discussing the payment of annual dues going forward. He also lambasted <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nato\/\">NATO<\/a> for a shift in its priorities, going from defense and war-fighting objectives to \u201cout-of-area operations\u201d such as climate change and gender equity. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SECWAR<\/a> &#8220;Our annual NATO dues will be CONTINGENT on other countries meeting their defense spending targets.<\/p>\n<p>Where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues contributions WILL GO DOWN.<\/p>\n<p>NATO WILL BE A TWO-WAY STREET.&#8221; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QOlT0XRemr\">pic.twitter.com\/QOlT0XRemr<\/a><\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4613814\/trump-blames-stupid-presidents-for-taiwan-stealing-semiconductor-factories\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump blames previous \u2018stupid presidents\u2019 for Taiwan stealing \u2018our semiconductor factories\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4612040\/trump-says-pulte-to-remain-acting-director-of-national-intelligence\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump says Pulte to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-says-pulte-to-remain-acting-director-of-national-intelligence-in-truth-social-post\/\" title=\"Trump says Pulte to remain acting director of national intelligence in Truth Social post\">remain acting director<\/a> of national intelligence in Truth Social post<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4610917\/watch-live-crew-cleans-reflecting-pool-after-algae-turned-water-green\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>WATCH LIVE: Crew cleans Reflecting Pool after algae turned water green<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>          \u2014 DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DOWResponse\/status\/2067529203134648524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 18, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd as I said at my first NATO defense ministerial last February, and as the Trump administration has said again and again in the last year and a half, our allies must step up,\u201d Hegseth said while addressing NATO. \u201cPresident Trump has been very clear on this point for many years and over two administrations, and for too long, NATO has been a paper tiger and a one-way street. No more.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd that\u2019s what the Hague Summit is all about, that\u2019s what defense spending commitments are all about, transforming NATO back into a real military alliance that\u2019s focused on hard power and real deterrence,\u201d said Hegseth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He then called for a modernization of NATO geopolitical thinking, dubbing it NATO 3.0. Hegseth described it as a return of sorts to NATO\u2019s original purpose, forsaking the current prioritization of non-military objectives. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA NATO 3.0, modeled on NATO 1.0 that won the Cold War, with our allies actually taking the lead in Europe\u2019s conventional defense,\u201d Hegseth added.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also criticized Europe for its low defense spending, rebuking the alliance for its dependence on the United States for the continent\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEurope was not supposed to be a dependency of the United States. That\u2019s not what Winston Churchill or Charles de Gaulle, or Konrad Adenauer, wanted or expected. No, Europe was supposed to be a military power, allied with a strong America. This is the essence of NATO 1.0.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hegseth then described his perception of NATO 2.0 and how it \u201cdrifted\u201d from the organization\u2019s original intent and purpose. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SECWAR<\/a> \u201cNATO 2.0 drifted toward out-of-area operations and things that had nothing to do with war fighting at all.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of tanks, fighters, and air defenses, the focus has been on gender equity, climate change, and defense austerity.<\/p>\n<p>Europe\u2019s borders flew WIDE OPEN\u2014WELFARE\u2026 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YYApMJnBHO\">pic.twitter.com\/YYApMJnBHO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DOWResponse\/status\/2067524517589659958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 18, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo longer focused on defending Europe, NATO 2.0 drifted toward out-of-area operations and things that had nothing to do with warfighting at all,\u201d he said. \u201cInstead of tanks and fighters and air defenses, the focus has been on gender equity, climate change, and defense austerity. Europe\u2019s borders flew wide open, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/shapiro-debunking-the-myth-of-a-scandinavian-socialist-paradise\/\" title=\"SHAPIRO: Debunking The Myth Of A Scandinavian Socialist Paradise\">welfare states expanded<\/a>, defense budgets cratered, along with Europe\u2019s belief in itself and its civilization. NATO lost its way.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNATO 2.0 was an era of distraction, deindustrialization, and demilitarization,\u201d Hegseth said. \u201cIt was an era of free-riding, and those were lost years that we\u2019re not going back to. And that\u2019s why at the Department of War, we\u2019ve been so clear and so candid to restore NATO\u2019s core military role and character.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, after applauding NATO members who increased their defense spending contributions, mentioning the 5% of GDP threshold, he turned to the Iran war and criticized NATO for failing to support the United States. He said that President Donald Trump gave NATO a test and \u201ctoo many failed it.\u201d He then described two important changes the U.S. would make regarding NATO in the future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, the United States would be initiating a review with a maximum length of six months by the Department of War to review \u201cthat will examine America\u2019s force posture and basing in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/editorials\/4610596\/poland-is-the-nato-ally-america-needs\/\"><strong>POLAND IS THE NATO ALLY AMERICA NEEDS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLet\u2019s call it the NATO 3.0 review,\u201d Hegseth said. \u201cThis will be a real review. It will be designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe, stepping to ensure our forces are postured for America\u2019s global needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He then spoke about the new process by which the U.S. would evaluate whether to pay its NATO dues. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt the same time, going forward, our annual NATO dues will be contingent on other countries meeting their defense spending targets. Where other allies do not spend with urgency, our dues contribution will go down. NATO will be a two-way street.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s only common sense,\u201d he said. \u201cAmerica cannot care for or pay more for Europe\u2019s defense than our allies do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hegseth warns NATO on defense spending and priorities<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2677,"featured_media":2615457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Hegseth_cff387.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[34678,50459,81356,34189,81355],"class_list":["post-2615456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-military-budget","tag-nato-2","tag-nato-countries","tag-nato-summit","tag-us-defense-spending"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Hegseth_cff387.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2615456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2677"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2615456"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2615456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2615461,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2615456\/revisions\/2615461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2615457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2615456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2615456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2615456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}