Baltic states are 'model allies,' says US defense secretary
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were among a cluster of countries dubbed "model allies" by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, while he encouraged allies in Asia to raise their defense budgets.
The U.S. administration is pushing its European NATO members to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP as it seeks to pay more attention to the Asia-Pacific region.
Rumors about the U.S. potentially withdrawing forces from Europe and a weakening of its commitment to NATO have frequently been reported by the media since President Donald Trump took office in January.
Politicians from Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia, which host deployments of U.S. troops, have denied that any changes are currently taking place.
All three countries plan to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defense in the coming years. Hegseth's comments on Saturday acknowledged this effort and seemed to suggest America was not leaving its allies in the lurch.
Skaidra un stipra valoda no ASV Aizsardzības ministra @SecDef Pete Hegseth- Baltijas valstis, Polija, Izraēla, Līča valstis ir paraugsabiedrotie.
— Baiba Braže (@Braze_Baiba) May 31, 2025
A message from @SecDef Pete Hegseth loud and clear- we are model Allies.#StrongerTogether #SLD25 https://t.co/d4s0HIAW0d pic.twitter.com/2hNl98gbIz
"And as I've said many times before, and it's important for this room to hear today, and all the world — America First certainly does not mean America alone. Especially alongside so many of our allies, model allies like Poland, Israel, and the Gulf States, the Baltic States. And it does not mean ignoring the world," he said.
The defense secretary spoke at the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore and urged Asian countries to increase defense spending and collaborate with the U.S. to deter war with China.
"Europe is stepping up. U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific can, and should, follow by quickly upgrading their own defenses," he said.
Hegseth described the approach as: "Sometimes with tough love, but love nonetheless."
"Great friends and great partners"
This is not the first time Estonia has been called a "model ally" by senior officials in the Trump administration this year.
Earlier this month, Matthew G Whitaker, ambassador and permanent representative of the United States to NATO, used the same phrase while speaking at the Lennart Meri conference in Tallinn.
"I want to recognize Estonia as a model ally and a friend of the United States. They are serious about meeting President Trump's call to NATO allies to contribute more to their own defense," he said.
Whitaker also highlighted the Baltic states' and Poland's high defense spending and said they are "leading our alliance" and "preparing to address the threats of the future."
He called the integration of the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher systems into the Estonian Defense Forces with the help of a U.S. team a "perfect example" of cooperation.
The ambassador stressed he was visiting Estonia and would soon be traveling to Poland. "I am going to visit our allies who are doing what they are being asked to do, and are great friends and great partners and great allies," he said.
"The U.S. remains fully committed to NATO," he told the audience. "We are as active now as we have ever been."
You can watch the panel below.
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Editor: Helen Wright
