Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.aa.com.tr
Diyar Guldogan
16 October 2026•Update: 16 October 2026
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his British counterpart Wes Streeting discussed NATO burden-sharing, defense spending and military cooperation at the Pentagon on Thursday, according to the Pentagon.
The meeting marked Streeting’s first visit to Washington since taking office in July and came as the Trump administration pushed European allies to assume greater responsibility for their conventional defense.
Hegseth emphasized that the longstanding relationship between Washington and London must continue to evolve to address emerging threats rather than rely solely on historical ties.
“(Rather,) they’re about an ongoing partnership that needs to be active in a dangerous world (and) a dynamic world, and we welcome that,” Hegseth told Streeting, according to the Pentagon.
Hegseth also outlined the concept of “NATO 3.0,” a vision for shifting more responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense to European members of the alliance.
The approach could allow the US to reduce its troop presence on the continent and redirect resources toward other regions, including the Pacific.
“It’s been very encouraging under President (Donald) Trump’s leadership to watch NATO step up,” Hegseth said.
He also praised the UK for its plans to increase defense contributions.
Streeting backed the push for greater European responsibility, saying Britain was prepared to take a more active role in defending the continent and its interests.
“The UK is stepping up; we’re stepping up willingly,” Streeting said.
He also thanked Trump for encouraging European countries to take their defense responsibilities more seriously.
Streeting said the UK was undertaking its largest sustained increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War to strengthen its military capabilities.
He argued that higher spending alone would not be sufficient, emphasizing the need to direct investments toward effective capabilities and accelerate the development of new military technologies.
“But to your point, it’s not just about investing more; it’s about investing in the right things and making sure that we’re pushing the frontier of defense innovation and translating that innovation into capability a lot more quickly,” Streeting told Hegseth, according to the Pentagon.
He also highlighted the need to reinforce Britain’s defense industrial base and improve the speed at which technological advances are converted into operational military systems.
Hegseth similarly stressed the importance of expanding defense production in the US while working with allies to strengthen manufacturing capacity and supply chains.
“We talk about an arsenal of freedom here in the States, (about) building that and ensuring that our domestic manufacturing, our industry, our production lines, (are) made in America (at) speed, scale, (and) made with partners,” he said.
