Analysis: Jakub Graca; graphic design: Natalia Matiaszczyk; collected data: Paweł Gawryluk
In his first month in office, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made one foreign trip to Europe: on February 11-15, 2025. During the trip, he visited Stuttgart, home to the United States European Command (EUCOM) headquarters; Brussels, where he attended a NATO defense ministers’ meeting; and Poland, where he conducted his first bilateral visit as defense secretary.
The NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels provided the 31 allies with an opportunity to learn about the new US administration’s stance on Euro-Atlantic security issues, including the war in Ukraine. Hegseth urged the allies to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, a proposal put forward by Donald Trump. He emphasized that Washington’s priority is now deterring the PRC in the Indo-Pacific, which means European NATO member states should take greater responsibility for Russia’s conventional deterrence.
On the issue of the war in Ukraine, Hegseth stated that Washington’s goal is to achieve a lasting peace through negotiations, but with four key caveats: he acknowledged that a return to Kyiv’s pre-2014 borders is unrealistic, rejected Kyiv’s vision of NATO membership, emphasized that the United States will not send troops to Ukraine as a peacekeeping force, and added that potential peacekeepers sent by European countries should not be protected by the guarantees of Article V of the Washington Treaty. These reservations have been widely criticized as undermining Ukraine’s negotiating position vis-à-vis Russia.
During his visit to Poland, Hegseth met with Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Polish President Andrzej Duda. He reaffirmed the strong bilateral relations between Warsaw and Washington, praising Poland as a model ally that spends the highest percentage of its GDP on defense within NATO. Hegseth also met with Polish and American soldiers at the 33rd Transport Air Base in Powidz.
In addition to his visit to Europe, Hegseth hosted his counterparts from several allied countries in Washington: Israel, Jordan, Australia, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. He also held telephone conversations with the defense ministers of key allied and partner countries in the Indo-Pacific, such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Pete Hegseth’s meetings and talks in the international arena so far confirm the United States’ commitment to maintaining its alliance and partnership relations in three regions: the Indo-Pacific, Europe (NATO), and the Middle East. However, given the fundamental revision of US foreign policy goals and methods under the Donald Trump administration, significant adjustments are possible, including a reduction of military involvement in Europe and the Middle East, and an increase in the Indo-Pacific region.
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