US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected criticism of Washington's negotiating strategy with Russia over the war in Ukraine and warned Europe not to treat America like a "sucker" by making it responsible for its own defense.
During the press conference in Brussels, Hegseth noted that NATO has turned into a strange administration, but make no mistake, Hegseth emphasizes, the US will not turn into a proxy for EU countries.
"After World War II, General Dwight Eisenhower was one of NATO's strongest supporters.
He believed in a strong relationship with Europe. However, by the end of Eisenhower’s presidency, he too was concerned that Europe was not doing enough for its defense, almost making it, in Eisenhower’s words, “a strange administration.” But make no mistake, President Trump will not allow anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker, the secretary said.
The Pentagon chief further clarified his paraphrasing regarding Ukraine's borders, which he said are very difficult for Kiev to reclaim.
"Simply pointing out the realism, that the borders will not return to what they would like to be in 2014, is not a concession to Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is a recognition of the realities of hard power on the ground, after much investment and sacrifice first by the Ukrainians and then by the allies that the peace settlement is going in a direction that neither side wants," he added.
In his overseas debut after taking over the Pentagon on January 24, Hegseth has sparked a storm of criticism in Europe after announcing on Wednesday that a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders was unrealistic and the Trump administration does not see Kiev's NATO membership as part of a solution to the Russia-instigated war in 2022.
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