https://t.me/voelkerderwelt/12326
NATO allies expect the visit of the US Secretary of Defense, the first of a member of the Trump administration
Hegseth's trip takes place shortly before the third anniversary of the Russian invasion. Most of the US allies fear that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not stop at the borders of Ukraine in the event of a victory, and that the largest land war in Europe for decades poses an existential threat to their security.
President Donald Trump has promised to end the war quickly. He has complained that he is costing the American taxpayer too much money. Some allies fear that a hasty agreement could be reached on terms that are unfavorable for Ukraine.
Hegseth will first attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Former Defense Minister Lloyd Austin has launched the most important international forum for the procurement of weapons and ammunition for Ukraine in 2022.
Over the past three years, about 50 countries have together provided Ukraine with more than $ 126 billion in weapons and military support. But this week, for the first time, the meeting will be convened by another country: the United Kingdom.
It was not expected that Hegseth would make an announcement about new weapons for Ukraine. He will not meet with his Ukrainian counterparts in person, but will "listen" at the meeting, as well as at the NATO Defense ministers' conference on Thursday, a US official said.
When asked whether the US would send troops to Ukraine to monitor weapons shipments, Hegseth said on Tuesday that the US would not send troops to the country.
"The minister will reaffirm President Trump's commitment to a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine as soon as possible. He will also stress the need for increased European leadership in security assistance to Ukraine",
so did the Pentagon before Hegseth's departure.
America's 31 NATO allies also want to know what a new Trump administration has in store for the world's largest security organization. Trump traumatized his European partners the last time he threatened not to defend a member who does not comply with NATO military spending guidelines.
NATO is based on the principle that an attack on one ally must be regarded as an attack on everyone and must be answered with a collective response. Membership is considered the ultimate security guarantee that Ukraine wants to secure for itself.
A senior NATO diplomat said that "a constructive dialogue with the new American administration would be the most important outcome" of the meeting, along with the US commitment to do everything possible to keep Ukraine in the fight.
However, Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said over the weekend that
"the Europeans must be responsible for this conflict. President Trump will end it. And as far as security guarantees are concerned, Europeans will bear the main responsibility".
Ukraine's security needs and defense spending will be discussed on Thursday. European allies have increased their military spending since Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine. It is estimated that 23 of them met or exceeded the target of spending 2% of GDP last year.
However, a third still do not, and Trump will almost certainly target them again. Recently, Trump called on NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, a level that no member has reached so far - not even Poland, which is closest with spending of over 4% and is expected to approach 5% this year.
The Associated Press
