Allied nations call for unity as Washington grows critical of NATO

American allies are pushing back on division within the transatlantic relationship, warning that fractures weaken deterrence as global threats increasingly transcend regions.

The call for unity came Sunday at the Shangri-La defense conference in Singapore, a day after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth again criticized Western European allies for insufficient defense spending. The Trump administration has been harsh about NATO, creating tension even as shared security challenges mount.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi made the case directly: "Division weakens deterrence, unity strengthens deterrence." He warned that gaps between the United States, Europe, and allied nations create openings for adversaries. "We must prevent such a situation. We must keep our cooperation going on. Now is the time to make our cooperation even stronger."

Japan itself has been reshaping its defense posture. Last month, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet scrapped a postwar ban on lethal weapons exports — a major pivot. China criticized the move as "militarism," prompting Koizumi to scoff at the irony. "There is a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers," he said of China. "Japan has neither of such weapons, and yet Japan is labeled new militarism. Isn't it strange?"

Koizumi also noted China's absence from the conference. "Transparency comes from discussion and dialogue," he said, adding that China had not sent its defense minister.

Hegseth toned down his previous year's warnings about China at this year's conference, coming just two weeks after President Trump visited Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, where the two agreed to "build a constructive relationship of strategic stability."

The Philippines, which has clashed repeatedly with China over maritime claims, remains skeptical of any U.S. softening on Beijing.