Tag - pete-hegseth

 
 

PETE HEGSETH

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani meets with his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 3, 2025
Why Japan isn’t panicking about Trump’s foreign policy
Hegseth’s SLD speech is the first extended statement about U.S. policy and it checked all the boxes.
Australian defense chief Richard Marles speaks during the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 2, 2025
U.S demands Australia increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP
Officials in Tokyo are closely watching how U.S.-Australia defense spending talks unfold, with U.S. President Donald Trump thought to be pushing Japan to also spend more.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Singapore's Minister of Defense Chan Chun Sing and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas attend a ministerial lunch on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 2, 2025
Asia defense summit reveals gaps between U.S. and European perspectives
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made clear he wanted Europeans to concentrate on European security while the U.S. focuses on the Indo-Pacific.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives for a trilateral meeting between Japan, the U.S. and Australia at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 1, 2025
Hegseth to prioritize China and more allied spending in Asia — but questions remain
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a clear statement of the United States' commitment to the region, but getting allies to spend more on their defense will be an uphill battle.
The defense chiefs of “the Squad” grouping, which brings together Japan, Australia, the U.S. and the Philippines, meet Saturday in Singapore for talks on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue regional security summit.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 31, 2025
‘Squad’ defense chiefs meet with eye on countering China
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the grouping the most “strategically positioned to manifest deterrence" amid “an unprecedented military buildup by China.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 31, 2025
Hegseth warns of Chinese threat to Taiwan, urging allies to upgrade defenses
In a speech to regional defense officials, U.S. defense chief Pete Hegseth also sought to ease concerns among those skeptical of America’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivers remarks at the National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
May 28, 2025
Hegseth to face questions on U.S. commitment at top Asian defense conference
The event comes amid growing anxiety over Washington's tariff program and uncertainties about U.S. defense policy.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looks on as President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the White House in Washington on March 21.
WORLD / Politics
May 7, 2025
Hegseth's order to cancel Ukraine weapons caught White House off guard
The story of how the flights were canceled points to an at-times haphazard policymaking process within the Trump administration.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth awaits the arrival of Peruvian Foreign Affairs Minister Elmer Schialer and Peruvian Defense Minister Walter Astudillo at the Pentagon in Washington on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
May 6, 2025
U.S. defense chief to slash top ranks of military
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday ordered a 20% reduction in the number of four-star officers at the Pentagon.
An Israeli soldier walks near tanks deployed at a position near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
May 5, 2025
Israel prepares to scale up pressure on Gaza ahead of Trump visit
The new ground operations will likely involve taking control of additional territory while stopping short of a full siege.
U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, delivers remarks on the advanced F-47 sixth-generation fighter jet in the Oval Office on March 21. 

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as an image of an F-47 sixth-generation fighter jet is displayed, in the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 21, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
COMMENTARY / World
May 2, 2025
The F-47 fighter jet and Trump’s air dominance gamble
The U.S.' announcement signals a shift toward the pursuit of nuclear superiority — which history shows will weaken deterrence and increase the likelihood of nuclear crises.
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a letter from Britain's King Charles as he meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House in Washington on Feb. 27.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 28, 2025
Trump's first 100 days: 'America First' president is overturning world order
Trump's second-term agenda has alienated friends and emboldened adversaries while raising questions about how far he is prepared to go.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a meeting of the Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias Task Force, at the Justice Department in Washington on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 23, 2025
Hegseth delivers what Trump wants but with unwanted controversy
Hegseth has done most everything so far that Trump hoped he would — and for now, that’s been enough to keep Trump on Hegseth’s side.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to reporters during the 2025 White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 22, 2025
'Disruptor' Hegseth's unsettled Pentagon starts turning against him
U.S. defense chief Pete Hegseth accused former advisers of turning against him following news he texted sensitive U.S. military plans to his wife, brother, attorney and others.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looks on before a luncheon with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Washington Thursday. Hegseth shared information on forthcoming U.S. airstrikes on Yemen in a private Signal chat group that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer, The New York Times reported Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 21, 2025
Pentagon chief shared sensitive Yemen war plans in second Signal chat
A U.S. official at the Pentagon questioned how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could keep his job after the latest news.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (left) talks with Panama Canal Authority Administrator Ricaurte Vasquez during a tour of the Miraflores locks, in Panama City, Panama, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 9, 2025
U.S. will not let China disrupt Panama Canal: Pentagon chief
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. and Panama together would "take back the Panama Canal from China's influence" and keep it open to all nations.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's contradictory statements on U.S. military strategy and alliances with Europe and Asia raise questions about his true stance, reflecting the chameleon-like nature of U.S. foreign policy under the Trump administration.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 3, 2025
Will the real Pete Hegseth please stand up?
The same fears remain in terms of security. Even if the Trump administration seeks to deter China, it is unlikely to shift its policy of so-called pacifism.
A F-18 jet lands on the runway of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier during military exercises in 2024.
WORLD
Apr 2, 2025
Pentagon sends second aircraft carrier to Mideast as Iran tensions rise
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered additional forces to the Middle East, including the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group and aircraft.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth chat after reviewing an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 31, 2025
On defense, Japan may avoid Trump's worst impulses — for now
In his first official trip to Japan, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to have been looking to tamp down on concerns in Tokyo.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani (left) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth review an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo ahead of their talks Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 30, 2025
In Tokyo, Pentagon chief provides assurances that Japan-U.S. alliance remains robust
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described Japan as an “indispensable partner” in confronting China and sought to dispel lingering unease in Tokyo.

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