Dutch Defense Min. calls for calm after U.S. hints at limiting Ukraine support

The nations that are joined together under the NATO military alliance must continue to support Ukraine’s defense against Russia, and the United States is “of fundamental importance to this,” said Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans on Wednesday. Despite indications that the new administration in the United States is less interested in defending Ukraine, European leaders should not panic as the Americans have not yet said they will stop supporting the effort, Brekelmans told reporters in Brussels.

The American Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, made it clear on behalf of U.S. President Donald Trump to the other NATO countries at the headquarters in Brussels that Europe will have to ensure its own safety. It will also have to guarantee Ukraine’s safety without the U.S., he said. By using troops in Ukraine as an example. The U.S. government is currently prioritizing their rivalry with China.

Hegseth said the United States believes it will likely be impossible for Ukraine to be able to join NATO if Trump leads a diplomatic effort to end the war. “We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,” he continued.

“The first priority is to make sure we keep supporting Ukraine, that we stand strong, that we stand together, and we know the United States, of course, is of fundamental importance to this.”

Brekelmans is “not shocked” by this “very direct message,” he said. He even thinks that it could be beneficial for Europe as now other countries will have to get involved. The minister has not yet been able to determine from Hegseth's words whether he rules out the possibility that the US could support a European military mission in Ukraine in ways other than with its own military personnel. Experts consider American aid indispensable.

“It’s very important that we discuss support to Ukraine because we see it is quite heavy on the battlefield, and that Ukraine is fighting a fierce battle every day. We saw also new waves of air attacks both yesterday and today. So we need to make sure we continue our support to Ukraine because, in the end, the only way to peace is through strength. The opposite is true as well. If we show weakness, then Russian aggression, and the war, will continue.”