US Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s European Debut

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Feb 12, 2025, at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact group in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Omar Havana/Associated Press/NYT

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made his European debut during high-profile European meetings between Feb. 12, and Feb. 14, 2025. Hegseth, a former National Guard infantryman and Fox News host, became Secretary of Defense after being nominated for the role by President Trump and barely passing the Senate vote, with 51 yes versus 50 no. 

On Feb. 12, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium, Hegseth made a speech in front of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. Hegseth stated that the U.S. “faces consequential threats” to the homeland and has to focus on securing its “own borders”. He also discussed the Russo-Ukrainian War, stating that “NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic”, as there would need to be a unanimous vote for Ukraine’s NATO membership among all 32 NATO allies that have veto power. Hegseth went on to say that a Ukrainian attempt to return to its pre-2014 borders would be an “illusionary goal” and would “only prolong the war and cause more suffering”. Hegseth also discussed that in order for there to be a durable peace in Ukraine, European nations would have to make “robust security guarantees”.

Although NATO itself doesn’t possess any weapons and only provides non-lethal support, Hegseth stated that “NATO should play no role in any future military mission to police the peace in Ukraine”. A peacekeeping force of non-European and European nations, with no U.S. involvement, that used to maintain security in Europe emphasizes the Trump administration’s message that they do not want U.S. troops to be involved in European conflict. Also, by creating a peacekeeping force without U.S. membership, NATO’s Article Five protections, the collective defense principle, wouldn’t apply to the force. Without Article Five protections, NATO members wouldn’t have to aid the peacekeeping force if they came into contact with Russian forces.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Feb 13, 2025, at a meeting of defense ministers from NATO countries and non-NATO partner countries Photo: Omar Havana/Getty Images/NYT

Hegseth’s trip to NATO is near the 3rd anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which took place on Feb. 24, 2022. His rhetoric talking with European allies highlights the Trump administration’s message that the U.S. will “no longer tolerate an imbalance[d] relationship”, emphasizing that Europe shouldn’t always depend on the U.S. for security. 

Additionally, on Feb. 12, 2025, President Trump said he’d spoken with Russian President Putin about ending the war in Ukraine. Trump said that his hour and a half conversation with Putin had been a “highly productive” one, and Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said that Putin “agreed with Trump that a long-term settlement can be achieved through peaceful negotiations”. 

Hegseth’s first international appearance emphasized the new Trump administration’s stance of wanting to end the Russo-Ukrainian War. However, his appearance also led to much uncertainty regarding the future of U.S.-European relations due to his statements of how the U.S. shouldn’t always have to take a leading role in protecting European security.