US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said Nato allies are nearing consensus on a new defence spending target of 5% of GDP, a longstanding demand from President Donald Trump to member states

Increased military spending in Europe must be directed toward hard-power capabilities to give NATO credibility that goes beyond American firepower, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday.

Germany’s defense chief said his country will need to boost its armed forces by as many as 60,000 active soldiers as NATO member states commit to ramping up defense spending to deter Russia’s military threat.

NATO alliance defense ministers have broadly endorsed a plan to increase spending to 5% of GDP, as US President Donald Trump has demanded the alliances members invest more.

SOFREP’s Evening Brief is here, bringing you the latest updates on defense and global affairs to wrap up your Thursday, June 5, 2025. A US-led coalition captured

NATO allies are nearing consensus on a new defence spending target of five per cent of GDP, according to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. This move aims to satisfy US President Donald Trump’s demand for increased contributions.

NATO defense chiefs meet Thursday to set the agenda for this month's annual summit, with military spending expected to be one of the top issues

IRAN NUCLEAR WOES: Speaking of Iran, Iranian Supreme Leader ALI KHAMENEI today rejected a U.S. proposal for a nuclear deal that would see Tehran gradually reduce its enrichment of uranium over time, per The Wall Street Journal’s Benoit Faucon, Laurence Norman and Alex Ward.

The North Atlantic Alliance is urging European member states to significantly increase their number of ground-based air defence systems in order to prepare for potential Russian aggression. Source: Bloomberg,