US urges France to increase defense spending

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged France to increase its defense spending, the Pentagon said Thursday.

Hegseth and his French counterpart, Sebastien Lecornu, met at the Pentagon, spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

Lecornu was urged to raise spending and "alongside other NATO allies, take primary responsibility for Europe's conventional defense," Parnell added.

The defense chiefs discussed efforts toward a "durable peace" in Ukraine," he said.

The US has been urging its NATO allies to raise defense spending to 5% of their respective GDPs.