Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told his fellow defence ministers that European countries should increase their defence spending to 5 % of gross domestic product and take the "overwhelming share" of military aid to Ukraine.
His remarks were made at the first meeting with the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, a regular gathering of military and diplomatic representatives of countries supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Secretary Hegseth said the United States must focus on the looming military threat from China in the Pacific. He also said that the U.S. wants a quick end to the conflict, but that Ukraine should not expect its pre-war territory to remain untouched.
British Defence Secretary John Healey also spoke, thanking the US for its continued support for Ukraine and acknowledging the Trump administration's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war.
Speech by Minister of Defence Pete Hegseth at the meeting of the Contact Group on Defence of Ukraine:
Good afternoon, my friends.
Thank you, Minister Healy, for your leadership, both in organizing and now leading the UDCG.
This is my first contact group for the defence of Ukraine. And I am honoured to join you all today.
And I appreciate the opportunity to share President Trump's approach to the war in Ukraine.
We are, as you said, Minister, at a critical moment. As we approach the third anniversary of the war, our message is clear: the bloodshed must end. And this war must end.
President Trump has been clear with the American people - and with many of your leaders - that stopping the fighting and achieving a lasting peace is a top priority.
He intends to end this war through diplomacy and by bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table. And the United States Department of Defense will help him achieve that goal.
We will only end this devastating war - and establish a lasting peace - by combining allied strength with a realistic assessment of the battlefield.
Like you, we want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognising that a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic goal.
Chasing this illusory goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.
A lasting peace for Ukraine must include robust security guarantees to ensure that war does not start again.
It must not be Minsk 3.0.
The United States does not believe that Ukraine's NATO membership is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.
Instead, any security guarantee must be backed up by capable European and non-European troops.
If these troops are deployed as a peacekeeping force in Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission. And they should not be subject to Article 5. There must also be thorough international supervision of the line of contact.
To be clear, under any security guarantees, US troops will not be deployed in Ukraine.
To further enable effective diplomacy and reduce the energy prices that fund the Russian war machine, President Trump is freeing up US energy production and encouraging other countries to do the same. Lower energy prices, along with more effective enforcement of energy sanctions, will help bring Russia to the negotiating table.
Ensuring European security must be an imperative for European NATO members. As part of this, Europe must provide the bulk of future lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine.
The members of this contact group must rise to the occasion.
This means: donate more ammunition and equipment. Use of comparative advantages. Expanding its defence industrial base. And, importantly, informing its citizens about the threat Europe faces.
Part of this is to talk openly to citizens about the fact that this threat can only be countered by higher defence spending.
2 % is not enough; President Trump has called for 5 % and I agree.
Increasing your commitment to your own security is a down payment on the future. A pledge, as you said, Minister, for peace through strength.
We are also here today to state directly and unequivocally that hard strategic realities prevent the United States from focusing primarily on the security of Europe.
The United States faces consequential threats to our homeland. We must - and do - focus on the security of our own borders.
We also face an equal competitor in Communist China, which is capable and intent on threatening our homeland and vital national interests in the Indo-Pacific. The United States prefers deterrence to war with China in the Pacific, recognizing the reality of resource scarcity and compromising on resources to ensure that deterrence does not fail.
Deterrence must not fail, for the sake of all of us.
As the United States prioritises attention to these threats, European allies must lead the way.
Together we can create a division of labour that maximises our comparative advantages in Europe and the Pacific.
In the first weeks of my tenure as Secretary of Defense, under President Trump's leadership, we have seen promising signs that Europe is perceiving this threat, understanding what needs to be done, and rising to the challenge.
Sweden, for example, recently announced its largest aid package to date. We applaud them for allocating USD 1.2 billion for ammunition and other necessary supplies.
Poland already spends 5 % of GDP on defence, which is a model for the whole continent.
And 14 countries are involved in leading coalitions of capabilities. These groups do an excellent job of coordinating European contributions to lethal assistance in eight key capability areas.
These are the first steps. More needs to be done.
We ask each of your countries to step up the implementation of the commitments you have made.
And we call on your countries and your citizens to redouble their efforts and recommit themselves not only to Ukraine's immediate security needs, but also to Europe's long-term defence and deterrence objectives.
Our transatlantic alliance has endured for decades. And we fully expect it to endure for generations to come. But it won't just happen.
It will require our European allies to enter the arena and take responsibility for conventional security on the continent.
The United States remains committed to the NATO alliance and the defence partnership with Europe. Period.
However, the United States will no longer tolerate an unbalanced relationship that encourages dependency. Rather, our relationship will prioritise strengthening Europe's responsibility for its own security.
Our next policy will be honesty - but only in a spirit of solidarity.
President Trump looks forward to working together, to continuing frank discussions between friends, and to achieving peace through strength - together.
Pentagon/ gnews.cz - RoZ
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