Good afternoon, everyone.
It is an honor to address you today at this Ukraine Defense Contact Group, and I extend my gratitude to Secretary Healy for his leadership. As this is my first time participating in this group, I want to convey President Trump’s perspective on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
We are at a pivotal juncture as we approach the third anniversary of this war. Our message from the United States is unequivocal: the bloodshed must cease, and this war must come to an end.
President Trump has made it abundantly clear to the American people and to numerous world leaders that his paramount priority is to stop the fighting and achieve a lasting peace. He is determined to bring this war to a conclusion through diplomatic means, by bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table. The U.S. Department of Defense is committed to supporting this objective.
Achieving a durable peace in Ukraine, and ending this devastating conflict, requires a combination of allied strength and a realistic evaluation of the situation on the ground.
Like all of you, we desire a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. However, we must acknowledge the impracticality of returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders. Pursuing this unattainable goal will only prolong the conflict and intensify human suffering.
A sustainable peace for Ukraine must incorporate robust security guarantees to prevent any resurgence of hostilities. This must not be another Minsk agreement that fails to hold.
In that context, the United States does not consider NATO membership for Ukraine to be a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. Instead, any security guarantees must be reinforced by capable European and non-European military forces. If these forces are deployed to Ukraine as peacekeepers, they should operate under a non-NATO mission and should not be covered by Article 5. Furthermore, there must be strong international oversight of the line of contact.
Let me be clear: U.S. troops will not be deployed to Ukraine as part of any security guarantee.
To facilitate effective diplomacy and reduce energy prices that are funding Russia’s war efforts, President Trump is committed to unleashing American energy production and encouraging other nations to follow suit. Lower energy prices, coupled with more effective enforcement of energy sanctions, will exert pressure on Russia to engage in meaningful negotiations.
Safeguarding European security must be a primary responsibility for European NATO members. Europe must provide the vast majority of future lethal and non-lethal assistance to Ukraine.
Members of this Contact Group must rise to the occasion.
This entails increasing donations of ammunition and equipment, leveraging your respective comparative advantages, expanding your defense industrial bases, and, crucially, being transparent with your citizens about the genuine threat facing Europe.
Part of this transparency involves honest conversations with your populations about the necessity of increased defense spending to effectively address this threat. The current 2% GDP target is insufficient; President Trump has advocated for 5%, and I concur.
Increasing your commitment to your own security is an investment in the future – a down payment, as Secretary Healy mentioned, on peace through strength.
Today, we must also convey directly and unambiguously that stark strategic realities prevent the United States from maintaining a primary focus on European security.
The United States is confronting significant threats to our own homeland. We are prioritizing, and must prioritize, the security of our borders.
We are also facing a peer competitor in Communist China, which possesses both the capability and the intent to threaten our homeland and our core national interests in the Indo-Pacific region. The U.S. is prioritizing deterrence against war with China in the Pacific, acknowledging resource limitations, and making the necessary resource trade-offs to ensure deterrence is effective.
Deterrence failure is not an option, for the sake of us all.
As the United States shifts its focus to these pressing threats, European allies must take the lead in ensuring security in Europe.
Working together, we can establish a division of labor that maximizes our respective strengths in Europe and the Pacific.
In my initial weeks as Secretary of Defense under President Trump, I have observed encouraging indications that Europe recognizes this threat, understands the necessary actions, and is stepping up to meet the challenge.
For example, Sweden recently announced its largest ever assistance package, committing $1.2 billion in ammunition and other essential materiel. We commend Sweden for this significant contribution.
Poland is already spending 5% of its GDP on defense, setting a benchmark for the continent.
Furthermore, 14 nations are co-leading Capability Coalitions, demonstrating commendable coordination of Europe’s contributions of lethal assistance across eight critical capability areas.
These are important first steps, but more needs to be done.
We urge each of your nations to enhance your commitments and fulfill the pledges you have already made.
We challenge your countries, and your citizens, to redouble your efforts and recommit not only to Ukraine’s immediate security needs but also to Europe’s long-term defense and deterrence objectives.
Our transatlantic alliance has been a cornerstone of global security for decades, and we fully anticipate its continuation for generations to come. However, this is not guaranteed.
It will require our European allies to actively engage and assume ownership of conventional security on this continent.
The United States remains committed to the NATO alliance and to our defense partnership with Europe. Full stop.
However, the United States will no longer accept an imbalanced relationship that fosters dependency. Instead, our relationship will prioritize empowering Europe to take responsibility for its own security.
Honesty will be our guiding principle moving forward, always in the spirit of solidarity.
President Trump is eager to collaborate with you, to continue this candid dialogue among allies, and to achieve peace through strength, together.
Thank you.
