Donald Trump’s newly appointed Defense Secretary has made allies on his first international trip, with the US “no more focused” on European security anymore, and Europe leads in Ukraine’s defense He said he must take power.
Speaking to the defense minister at a luncheon in Brussels, Pete Hegses said Europe must provide Kiev with a “overwhelming share” of future military aid, restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 boundary I realized that it was unrealistic to do it.
The Pentagon chief said he was “here to make a direct and clear statement here today. Press.
It appears that the US is no longer a “major security officer in Europe” but suggests a reattack of the 75-year-old NATO alliance created after World War II to protect Western Europe from Soviet Europe It looked like that.
However, in a speech to the Ukrainian Liaison Group of Brussels’ Defence Minister, chaired by British Defence Secretary John Healy, he softened his language – a day before he was scheduled to attend the first NATO Defence Minister’s Summit.
Hegseth said the US is changing its military priorities against defending its homeland and deterring China, calling on members of European NATO to hike 5% of GDP to better protect the continent. Ta.
For example, Hegus said Europe must “provide an overwhelming share of future fatal and non-fatal aid to Ukraine.” Invasion.
He also reiterated Trump’s position that “stop the fight and reach lasting peace” in Ukraine is his number one priority. And Kiev must realize that he cannot reclaim all the lands occupied by Russia.
“We must recognize that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 border is an unrealistic purpose,” Hegus said, sketching his first position for peace negotiations with Russia.
“Tracing this fantastic goal only extends the war and causes more suffering,” he added, which effectively acknowledges the annexation of Crimea and the majority of the Donbass by Russia. can be interpreted as being.
Kiev only achieved peace through “robust security guarantees,” but Hegus excluded Ukraine’s NATO membership. Instead, peace must be secured by “competent and non-European forces.”
British or European troops deployed in Ukraine are not covered by part of the NATO mission or covered under Article 5 of the Alliance, Hegses added.
Hegseth has set several positions to achieve peace in Ukraine, but few experts believe there have been serious diplomatic progress. Russia, which has achieved its position on the battlefield, is eager to push its advantages back into the home, requiring that Ukraine be given more territory and be demilitarized effectively as part of the contract.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Guardian that Europe could not provide resilient security assurances to Kiev without US involvement. “Security guarantees without America are not real,” he said.
The deterrent of Ukraine-based multinationals after the ceasefire should be between 100,000 and 150,000 people, Zelensky said, but that is much smaller than the occupied Russian troops of more than 600,000 Ukraine. Zelensky said.
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With many European troops, including the UK, facing difficulties in recruiting, it is not clear whether it is possible to constitute a force of that size without US involvement.
Starting from pre-prepared texts, Hegseth emphasized that the US wanted its NATO allies to spend 5% of their GDP on defense, and praised Poland for reaching this level. That means double the UK’s defence spending. That budget is currently 2.33% of GDP.
Hegses explained that a transition from Europe was necessary as the US “facing a consequential threat to our homeland,” and focused on border security. At the same time, he added: “We also face fellow communist Chinese competitors,” and can threaten the mainland of the US and “the central national interests of the Indo-Pacific.”
“The United States prioritizes deterring war with China in the Pacific, recognizes the reality of scarcity and trades off resources to ensure that deterrence does not fail. The United States pays attention to these threats And European allies must lead head on,” he added.
Hegseth’s positioning reflects the priorities that the US president has repeatedly stated, with Europe having to increase its defense budget and contribute to its own security, but if attacked, the US would NATO members I’m not saying I won’t protect it.
Article 5 of NATO states that if one member state is attacked, another state must prepare to receive its assistance. When the United States was attacked on 9/11, it was summoned once in the history of the Alliance.
