The Nato secretary general waffled about the need for more defence spending across Nato but didn’t once acknowledge what would have once been automatic - that the US would aways come to the aid of a Nato member under attack.
Pete Hegseth told Nato defence ministers the US won’t support Nato membership for Ukraine - or most of its peace talk platform - leaving Zelensky little room to negotiate, writes World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley.
Now Russian President Vladimir Putin need no longer fear that Nato’s full might would be brought to bear against him if he bombed British troops in Ukraine.
Mark Rutte, the Kremlin will have already noted, ducked the question entirely when he was asked by Sky News, ahead of the Hegseth statements, whether the US could be counted upon to come to the aid of a Nato ally if it was attacked.
But in ruling out any future funding increase from the US for Ukraine, Hegseth is sending a signal to the Kremlin that the US is backing away.
