US will be candid in push for ‘hard-line’ NATO alliance, Hegseth says

US will be candid in push for ‘hard-line’ NATO alliance, Hegseth says
Above, United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives for a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on June 18, 2026. (AP)
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Updated 18 June 2026 11:34
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US will be candid in push for ‘hard-line’ NATO alliance, Hegseth says

US will be candid in push for ‘hard-line’ NATO alliance, Hegseth says
  • US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: NATO needs to return to its roots as a “hard-line” military alliance

BRUSSELS: NATO needs to return to its roots as a “hard-line” military alliance and the United States will be candid in public and ‌private about ‌countries that ‌need to ⁠do more to ⁠meet their commitments, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday at ⁠NATO headquarters.
“(There are) ‌some ‌that still need ‌to do more, ‌and we will be candid about that, both in private ‌and in public. I think ⁠that’s important, ⁠friends being honest with friends,” Hegseth said as he arrived for a meeting of defense ministers.