Those present at the Nato talks said Hegseth had come under pressure on Thursday from “a chorus of voices” to ensure Ukraine was properly represented in the peace discussions – while a day earlier at a Ukraine-related meeting he was told not to halt all US military aid to Ukraine.
Trump unexpectedly announced on Wednesday he had spoken to Putin for more than an hour and would begin peace talks with Russia and Ukraine, while Hegseth ruled out Nato membership for Ukraine and the restoration of Crimea and other territories occupied by Moscow since 2014.
The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said “everything is on the table” to bring peace to Ukraine and suggested reducing the number of American troops in Europe could be part of any deal.
European leaders are reeling from several abrupt US moves since Wednesday in relation to the Ukraine war and the continent’s security, which has been underpinned by the US since Nato was formed at the end of the second world war.
The Kremlin welcomed the developments on Ukraine, but the statements prompted a sharp push back from European politicians in public and private at the Nato meeting, who voiced concern that too much had been conceded by the US already and that Ukraine and Europe were at risk of being excluded from discussions.
