Pete Hegseth takes veiled swipe at Britain over defence spending as he calls on Nato to return to 'hardline' roots

Arriving for a meeting of defence ministers, Mr Hegseth said: "(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."

He has announced a review of US military forces in Europe, telling Nato defence ministers: "It's a review that some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colours."

The summit coincides with the ongoing debate surrounding defence spending in Britain after Keir Starmer was accused of failing in his primary duty to defend the nation.

Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns both resigned after a bitter dispute with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves over the upcoming, delayed Defence Investment Plan.

Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, Mr Healey said he was "certain to resign" and called on Sir Keir to make "harder choices" and take on "bolder priorities".

The former minister demanded that the Prime Minister hike defence spending to three per cent of GDP by 2030.

Pete Hegseth has taken a veiled swipe at Britain over defence spending as he called on Nato to return to its 'hardline' roots

REUTERS

He told MPs: "Since the SDR, we’ve seen the world changes still faster, with threats increasing and demands on defence rising, conflict in the Middle East, new Nato missions in the High North, the US moving forces away from Europe, intensifying attacks in Ukraine and increasing Russian aggression towards the UK."

Mr Healey added in the age of hard power and rising threats "this is not the moment for incremental change".

"This means bigger politics, bolder priorities, harder choices. And Britain’s challenge now is the transformation and the rearmament of our Armed Forces," he said.

Donald Trump has aggressively pushed Nato allies to radically increase their military budgets.

The summit coincides with the ongoing debate surrounding defence spending in Britain

REUTERS

He demanded a target of five per cent of GDP for core defence and security, with his administration having repeatedly accused allies of underinvesting in their military capabilities and over-relying on the US's might.

If the demands are not met, the US President has also hinted at the possibility of the US revoking its Nato membership.

Speaking to GB News, Lt Colonel Stuart Crawford said: "European countries need to do more in terms of their own defence and should not rely on the USA as much as they have previously.

"Our armed forces are in decline, and have been in decline for over 20 years, to the extent that there is very little Britain can do on its own as a sovereign country."

Donald Trump has aggressively pushed Nato allies to radically increase their military budgets

REUTERS

He added: "If Hegseth and Co are going to start criticising European states in general and Britain in particular, I think we have to be robust in our response to those criticisms.

"But that's going to be difficult, because many of the criticisms are accurate, and the first thing the UK has to do is sort out our own armed forces."

"The Government needs to re-prioritise spending, because it makes no sense to me and others that we spend nearly six times as much on welfare as we do on our defence budget.

"We are pursuing the unattainable net zero under Ed Miliband, and I think we'll probably have to put up income tax."

The Prime Minister has warned it could be "an attack by Russia on Nato as soon as 2030" during a visit to a defence firm in Swindon.

The US expects European allies and Canada to present concrete plans, such as maritime, air, and deep-strike capabilities, before the leaders meet in Ankara on July 7.