While Marles, who is also Australia’s deputy prime minister, wouldn’t say how much Hegseth had sought, a US government readout on Sunday clarified the issue.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has asked Australia to dramatically raise its military spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product “as soon as possible,” according to an official readout of his meeting with Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles.
Hegseth met with Marles on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Friday, after which the Australian minister acknowledged the secretary had requested that Canberra increase its outlays “in a very respectful and dignified way.”
