BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will make history on Wednesday as the first envoy from the new Trump administration to visit NATO. Allies are eager to ascertain America’s strategy in shaping the conflict in Ukraine. Hegseth’s visit coincides with the approaching third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Concerns persist among U.S. allies that Russian President Vladimir Putin may not halt at Ukraine’s borders if victorious, posing an unprecedented security threat to Europe.
President Donald Trump has pledged to swiftly resolve the conflict, citing excessive costs to American taxpayers. Some allies fear that a rushed resolution could disadvantage Ukraine. Hegseth will engage in discussions at NATO’s Brussels headquarters with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a forum established by former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in 2022 to coordinate international support for Ukraine. Notably, this week’s meeting will be chaired by the United Kingdom, marking a significant change.
While no announcements on new arms for Ukraine are expected, Hegseth aims to emphasize Trump’s commitment to a diplomatic resolution and urge European allies to take a more active role in supporting Ukraine’s security needs. NATO’s 31 members are eager to learn about the new U.S. administration’s approach to the alliance, after previous concerns about Trump’s stance on defense spending. The collective security premise underlying NATO, where an attack on one is seen as an attack on all, remains critical.
Ahead of discussions on Ukraine’s defense spending, European allies have increased military budgets following Putin’s military actions. Nonetheless, some members have yet to meet the 2% GDP spending target. The upcoming meetings will focus on fostering constructive dialogue with the U.S. administration and ensuring continued support for Ukraine’s fight.
In light of these developments, Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, emphasized the need for European nations to take the lead in resolving the conflict and providing security guarantees post-resolution. Discussions on Ukraine’s security needs and defense spending are scheduled for Thursday, with European allies reaffirming their commitment to collective security within NATO.
Do not underestimate the likelihood of Trump targeting NATO members again. Recently, Trump made a bold call for all NATO nations to increase their defense spending to 5% of their GDP, a benchmark that no member has reached thus far. Even Poland, which currently spends over 4% of its GDP on defense, is expected to approach the 5% mark this year. NATO diplomats have calculated that in order to effectively implement new defense strategies in the event of an attack on allied territory, member countries would need to allocate between 3.5% to 3.7% of their GDP to military expenditures. The organization’s leaders are anticipated to reach a consensus on new spending targets during their upcoming summit scheduled to take place in The Hague on June 24-26.___Copp reported from Washington.
