BRUSSELS - US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday rejected criticism of Washington's strategy in negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. He also warned Europe not to take advantage of America by making it responsible for its own defense.
He said that European allies must take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe.
On his first international tour, Secretary Hegseth sparked backlash in Europe after saying Wednesday that returning Ukraine to its pre-2014 borders was unrealistic and that President Trump's administration does not see Kiev joining NATO as part of the solution to the war sparked by Russia's 2022 attack.
Secretary Hegseth said during the conference that the United States aims for "a diplomatic, peaceful conclusion to the war in Ukraine in a way that creates a lasting peace."
According to critics, Secretary Hegseth's comments are being seen as the United States giving up the advantage it enjoys in relation to Russia before the start of negotiations, describing this as a major victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Secretary Hegseth defended his comments Thursday as a recognition of battlefield realities and left the door open for American maneuvers during negotiations that could appear to be concessions, including on issues such as U.S. supplies to Ukraine and the number of forces stationed in Europe.
"I think it's fair to say that future funding, whether more or less, could be part of the negotiations," he told reporters, adding that he would not preempt President Trump's announcements.
President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday and instructed U.S. officials to begin talks to end the nearly three-year war.
President Trump's approach, coupled with what are seen as concessions on Ukraine's key demands, has raised concerns both for Kiev and its European NATO allies, who said they fear the White House could reach a deal without them.
"We, as a sovereign country, simply will not accept any agreement that will be made without us," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
European officials took an unusually strong stance in public against Mr. Trump's preliminary peace proposals, saying that any agreement would be impossible to implement if they, and the Ukrainians, were not included in the negotiations.
"Any quick fix is an unfair deal," said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. She also sharply criticized the concessions offered in advance.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said it was important that Russian President Vladimir Putin understood that the West was "united" as talks began to end the war in Ukraine.
"Of course, I don't know what exactly President Putin is thinking," Rutte said. "He is a strong negotiator, he is very unpredictable, but ultimately if we want a peaceful agreement then we need him there."
He added that Ukraine will be included in any form in a peace agreement.
Secretary Rutte also said that leaders had never promised Ukraine that it would become a member of NATO if it reached a peace agreement with Russia.
"We need to make sure that Vladimir Putin never tries to attack Ukraine again, that is essential... but Ukraine was never promised that part of the peace agreement would be part of NATO," Secretary Rutte stated.
Secretary Hegseth rejected the idea that he was undermining European and NATO security.
"NATO is a very good alliance, the most successful military alliance in history, but to face the future our partners must do much more to defend Europe. We must make NATO great again," he said.
Secretary Hegseth's statement on Thursday was echoed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"The President's stance on NATO is the same as every other president has had, and that is that many of our NATO allies are not doing enough for their own security," he stated.
According to Secretary Rubio, every other president has had the same complaint, but President Trump is serious and is making this clear.
"If I were to explain the President's view on NATO, first of all, they need to do more," he added.
In the future, according to Secretary Rubio, "discussions need to take place about whether the United States should lead the security of the continent or assist in its security."/ VOA (A2 Televizion)
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