European countries need to invest now in defence because it is not possible to assume that the United States' presence on the continent will last forever, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday during a visit to Warsaw.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday warned NATO allies in Europe against assuming that the American troop presence on the continent would "last forever", as he urged them to spend more on defence.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told America's NATO allies that they cannot assume that the U.S. military presence in Europe "will last forever." "The American troop levels on the continent are important,