Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the US will accelerate weapon deliveries to its allies in Europe. Initially, the proposal was made by NATO Chief Mark Rutte, and received mixed reviews from European powers.
On Thursday, speaking at a press conference alongside Secretary-General Rutte, Hegseth explained, “Foreign Military Sales [is] something the United States is committed to Expediting the process of ensuring that our allies get what they need when they need it.”
Under President Joe Biden, the White House worked to boost American weapons production capabilities to match the needs of his aggressive foreign policy that saw Washington flood weapons to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. However, the US is currently unable to deliver weapons to allies in a timely manner and countries have found other sellers.
Hegseth did not provide details on what steps Trump will take to try to ramp up further US weapons production. Trump and Hegseth have called for NATO to massively increase its military spending. Currently, the alliance requires its members to spend 2% of GDP on defense, a standard some nations fail to meet. Hegselth said multiple times during his trip to Europe that Washington wants its allies to spend 5% of GDP on the military.
Hegseth claimed the increased spending and expedited arms production are needed to “ensure we’re able to meet the threats of the future whether that’s Russia on the continent or an ascendant China who has their own ambitions.”
Trump’s policy will be a boon to the US arms industry, which is already operating at capacity and reporting record sales.
The plan for the US to accelerate Foreign Military Sales was first made by Rutte. At the time, European countries had split reactions to the proposal. France sees additional US arms sales as cutting into the European market, while Germany supports the plan.
At a presser later in the day, Hegseth had harsh words for European countries, claiming they were not bearing their fair share of the bloc’s collective burden. “Trump will not allow anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker,” he said.
