Hughes on US-NATO relations: Trump will not allow anyone to “turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker”
Kyiv • UNN
Pete Hagseth called on Europe to increase defense spending and modernize NATO's military-industrial base. He emphasized that the United States supports alliances but will not allow itself to be used.
Pentagon Chief Pete Haggett said that NATO must become great again, but Europe must invest more, and in the context of US-Alliance relations, he noted that the US President will not allow anyone to turn "Uncle Sam into Uncle Loch". Hegseth said this during a briefing, UNN reports.
We must make NATO great. This starts with defense spending, but should also include revitalizing the transatlantic defense industrial base, rapidly deploying new technologies with a priority on readiness and lethality, and building a real deterrent
He noted that U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower was one of the most ardent supporters of NATO, believed in strong relations with Europe, but at the end of his presidency he was concerned that Europe was not taking enough care of its own defense.
"Well, like President Eisenhower, this administration believes in alliances, believes deeply in alliances, but rest assured that President Trump will not allow anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker," Hagseth added.
Recall
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte statedthat NATO countries have committed themselves to Ukraine's future membership in the Alliance, but Ukraine was never promised that it would become a NATO member as part of a peace deal with Russia.
