U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed strong confidence Thursday that NATO members will meet Washington’s target of increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP. He made this declaration while arriving at a crucial NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels.

Hegseth emphasized the need for concrete action beyond symbolic gestures, stating, “To be an alliance, you’ve got to be more than flags. You’ve got to be formations. You’ve got to be more than conferences.”

He further elaborated on the administration’s commitment, directly referencing President Trump’s initiative: “We’re here to continue the work that President Trump started, which is a commitment to 5 percent defense spending across this alliance, which we think will happen. It has to happen by the summit at The Hague later this month.”

This statement carries significant weight, as it suggests a strong push from the U.S. to bolster NATO’s collective defense capabilities. The upcoming summit in The Hague will be a key moment to observe whether NATO allies fully embrace this ambitious spending target.