Hegseth’s NATO critique clashes with allies’ ongoing push

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to grade NATO allies’ contributions and tie US funding to performance — with a six-month review and basing questions — seems out of step with European leaders, who say allies are already boosting defense spending, accelerating weapon production, and strengthening air defenses and mobility to deter Russia and support Ukraine. They cite 2025 defense spending jumps and ongoing steps to speed procurement and improve Europe-led defense, making it unclear what more the review would achieve without undermining alliance solidarity.