Secretary of War Hegseth Declares End of Free Ride for Allies at Shangri-La Dialogue

Secretary of War P. Hegseth declared the end of the 'free ride' for allies at the Shangri-La Dialogue, citing the National Defense Strategy. He stated that the old foreign policy course was headed for disaster and that changes are underway under President Trump. This announcement signals a shift toward expecting greater burden-sharing from international partners in defense of American interests.