Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday flatly ruled out the possibility of dispatching US troops to Ukraine to fend off Russian invaders — as the war approaches its third year.
Hegseth, 44, previewed plans Tuesday to “have straight talk with our friends” in Europe and was hopeful about achieving a “rapid peace deal” in Ukraine.
“We are not sending US troops to Ukraine,” he tersely told reporters in Germany on Tuesday when asked.
After Germany, Hegseth plans to visit Belgium and Poland as a part of a weeklong trip as he huddles with allies in Europe. His remarks on Ukraine came ahead of his participation in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO’s Brussels headquarters.
With his visit, the defense secretary is the first major Trump administration official to visit NATO as the powerful military alliance waits with bated breath to see what President Trump does about the ongoing battle in Ukraine.
Despite Trump’s push to put America first and get allies to pull more of their fair share, Hegseth emphasized that the US isn’t abandoning Europe.
“The European continent deserves to be free from any aggression but it ought to be those in the neighborhood investing the most,” Hegseth said, while also calling on US defense spending to not dip below 3% of gross domestic product.
“We would be remiss in not reviewing forced posture everywhere, but it would be the wrong planning assumption to say, ‘Oh, America is abandoning something or America’s leaving,’” Hegseth said. “No, America’s smart.”
Trump, 78, had promised to quickly bring an end to the war in Ukraine and claims that he has spoken with Russian leader Vladimir Putin since winning the election, though he’s declined to divulge details.
The president, meanwhile, has begun pressuring Kyiv to give the US access to its vast reservoir of mineral resources in exchange for help.
“They [Ukraine] may make a deal, they may not make a deal,” Trump mused to Fox News’ Bret Baier in a clip that aired Monday. “They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be the first major official in the Trump administration to visit Kyiv as the president eyes a deal.
“This War MUST and WILL END SOON — Too much Death and Destruction,” Trump declared on Truth Social Tuesday while announcing Bessent’s upcoming trip. “The U.S. has spent BILLIONS of Dollars Globally, with little to show.”
Trump has long groused that NATO allies haven’t pulled enough of their own weight, something that was a frequent grievance during his first administration.
Prior to Hegseth’s question and answer session with reporters, the defense secretary lifted literal weights and worked out with US troops stationed in Germany.
Hegseth, an Army veteran, posted images of himself breaking a sweat with US troops and running during the early morning hours in Germany.
“Strength equals readiness,” Hegseth wrote on X. “Kicked off the day with PT alongside the warriors of 1/10 SFG. No bureaucracy [sic]—just sharp minds, strong bodies, and a mission-first mindset.”
Video shared by Hegseth showed him thanking the troops afterward.
The defense secretary also praised Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as a “great patriot,” adding that he welcomes DOGE to the Pentagon.
On Tuesday, Hegseth also spent time with leaders in US European Command and US Africa Command. His overseas trip is set to conclude with a stop in Poland later this week.
