US allies call for greater unity as Trump-era rifts cloud global security

Allies at a defense conference stressed unity as threats become global. Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi highlighted that division weakens deterrence, while unity strengthens it. He criticized China's military expansion and its accusations of Japanese militarism. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged European allies to increase defense spending. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles agreed that rules-based order needs power.