The Trump administration expects Europe, not the US, to lead the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), defence secretary Pete Hegseth said, marking an apparent shift in Washington’s stance toward the 76-year transatlantic alliance.
The US will continue to fulfil its obligations to the alliance, Mr Hegseth said on Wednesday in Brussels, but also expects other countries to bolster their own defences.
“We remain clear-eyed about the fact the most effective deterrents to Russian aggression are: number one, a lethal, capable, and European-led Nato, and number two, a combat-credible Ukrainian military able to defend itself and thereby continue to deter Russian aggression along Nato’s border,” he said at a gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which co-ordinates military support to Kyiv.
“If this war does not end, if there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression. If we must take this step, the US war department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do,” Mr Hegseth said, using his preferred name for the department he leads.
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Speaking after remarks from Ukrainian defence minister Denys Shmyhal, Mr Hegseth said the US will continue to do its part, but that European allies must take primary responsibility for the defence of the continent.
He praised the allies for increasing their investments in their own defence spending and in aid to Ukraine. The secretary endorsed the use of the Priority Ukraine Requirements List initiative. He urged every country in the alliance to contribute to the effort to arm Kyiv, saying there should be “no free riders”.
He described the initiative to provide weapons to Ukraine as “Europe pays, the US provides, Nato fields”.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said more than half of the military alliance’s 32 allies have now pledged money to help Ukraine buy US weapons – a much-needed cash infusion as Kyiv’s wartime funding lags.
“Today we heard from ally after ally about new contributions,” Mr Rutte said, speaking after a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels.
“I’m really confident that we have the support from allies to buy from what the Americans provide in lethal and non-lethal aid,” he added.
Mr Rutte did not, however, provide a specific funding figure, nor details about timing and expected weapons purchases.
Finding Ukraine fresh funding has become a pressing matter. Military aid to Kyiv dropped sharply in July and August after the US said it would no longer pay for the weapons it may provide. Europe is now searching for new financing methods.
Currently, Ukraine is receiving US-made weapons via a special procurement programme. It allows Ukraine to purchase arms from the US, including Patriot anti-missile systems, with funds provided mostly by European partners.
Kyiv has managed to secure around $2 billion (€1.7 billion) in funding from six countries through September, but that is well short of its goal as Moscow steps up attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure.
Mr Rutte’s comments mean the number of countries has now surpassed 16.
On Wednesday morning, Baltic and Nordic nations said they were among those offering more money.
Estonian defence minister Hanno Pevkur said their financing package may be ready as soon as Wednesday. His Finnish counterpart, Antti Hakkanen, said his country will also join in, calling it “crucial Ukraine gets critical US weapons.”
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has also said Kyiv is talking to allies like the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Denmark and Norway to secure more funds for US weapons.
Separately, the European Union is negotiating its own plan to tap Russia’s frozen assets to help keep Ukraine afloat. The plan would use the assets, around €200 billion, to fund loans to Ukraine. The UK and Canada will also join the effort.
EU leaders are aiming to reach a political agreement on the proposal at a summit in Brussels next week.
Additionally, Ukraine is hoping US may soon agree to send long-range Tomahawk missiles, which would give Kyiv the ability to reach Moscow with air strikes for the first time.
Mr Zelenskiy will meet US president Donald Trump on Friday in Washington to discuss the issue. – Bloomberg
