New US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, held his first NATO meeting on Wednesday, urging European nations to increase military spending and support for Ukraine. His visit comes amid uncertainty over U.S. commitments under President Trump, who has pushed for NATO to more than double its defense spending target and end the war in Ukraine.
Hegseth's two-day talks in Brussels with NATO and Ukrainian counterparts are part of a series of high-level U.S. visits to Europe. Vice President JD Vance is also scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a security conference in Munich on Friday.
The Pentagon chief emphasized NATO's need to be a stronger, more capable force, urging allies to take greater responsibility in defense matters. Hegseth’s message aligns with Trump's "America First" agenda, which has caused concerns among allies regarding U.S. security commitments.
The U.S. has long accused NATO members of underfunding defense, with Trump advocating for a jump in the defense spending target from 2% of GDP to 5%. While this goal remains distant for many nations, NATO chief Mark Rutte expects the target to rise to over 3% in the future.
On Ukraine, Hegseth is expected to press European allies to take on a larger role in providing military aid, as Kyiv continues to face Russian aggression. While Trump has pledged to seek a quick end to the conflict, few details on this strategy have been shared. The U.S. has already provided Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in aid, but the Trump administration has yet to outline new support plans, reports AFP.
NATO allies exceeded their pledge to provide 40 billion euros in aid to Ukraine last year, with a significant portion coming from European and Canadian sources. The upcoming NATO summit in June will likely address these issues, with some nations set to announce new military assistance for Ukraine.
