US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and UK Defence Secretary John Healey met at the Pentagon on 6th March 2025 to discuss European security, NATO’s role, and efforts to secure peace in Ukraine, according to the US Department of Defense (DOD).
Hegseth praised the UK’s leadership in NATO, emphasising the increasing role of European nations in managing their own security following calls from President Donald Trump for allies to take greater responsibility.
“We are in the middle of a dynamic security environment where, [in Europe], President [Donald J.] Trump is calling on our European allies to take the lead, and you have done just that, sir,” Hegseth told Healey.
UK’s Role in Supporting Ukraine
Hegseth highlighted Healey’s leadership in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), a multinational coalition coordinating military aid to Ukraine. Healey chaired the group’s most recent meeting, where Hegseth urged European nations to take a more active role in securing the continent.
“We want to work together to achieve peace and security in Europe by working to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, building sustainable deterrence on the continent, and then increasing our allied capabilities and interoperability,” Hegseth said.
Britain’s Defence Spending Increase
Healey reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to European security, pointing to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent announcement of the largest increase in British defence spending since the Cold War.
“You challenged us to step up in Ukraine, on defence spending [and] on European security, and I say to you that we have, we are, and we will further,” he told Hegseth.
He also stressed the importance of strengthening the UK-US defence partnership, stating:
“I’m here today to strengthen that defence and security bond between our two nations. It’s needed now more than ever in this new era that we must face together.”
US Policy on Ukraine: ‘On Pause, Not Ended’
During a Q&A session, Hegseth addressed questions regarding US military aid to Ukraine, clarifying that while resupply efforts are currently paused, the administration remains committed to a negotiated path to peace.
“The president is [closely watching] precisely what the Ukrainians are saying and doing about committing to that peace process, and we’re very encouraged by the signs we’re seeing,” he said.
Hegseth also pushed back against suggestions that the US is aligning its stance on Ukraine with Russian narratives, emphasising that Trump is focused on ending the war.
“Our president is interested in peace,” Hegseth said. “And I can tell you, from being behind the scenes, that [Trump] is laser-focused on making that happen. And we’re closer today than we’ve ever been because of his leadership.”
While US arms deliveries to Ukraine remain uncertain, the UK has pledged continued support for Kyiv, positioning itself as a key NATO player in shaping Europe’s military response and deterrence strategy.
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We never going to see the end of these appearences and articles, are we? The UK ans US security chiefs holding each others… hands, HANDS, you filthy buggers! The damage is done, just learn to deal with it.
What a pair of clowns fiddling while Rome or rather Kyiv burns. There is no peace deal, just Trump trying to steal off Ukraine. He is clearly siding with Moscow and we might as well accept that the US is now an enemy to the UK and Europe just the same as Russia, China etc. Starmer is clearly as wrapped up in hubris as Blair was. Why is that clown Lord Sidwell talking about British troops having commit to Ukraine for decades? What troops, we couldn’t patrol a tiny fraction of the dividing line even if there were a peace deal which there isn’t.
The U.S. is not the enemy of the Uk, that’s plainly not the case and did anyone say the UK would be policing the line between Russia and Ukriane…no they did not.
That’s the reality, I guess due to past gutting of defence and European nativity for at least 20 years the only excuse for this BS now is to cover the developing mess as much as possible while we get our collective act together. Geez if any of this is actually believed anywhere in uk or Europe are in the deepest of shite. The US thinks it’s immune it will increasingly find its security is far from secure and without friends it’s assuredly so. Even United it’s a dangerous future.
Sport, Starmer is using diplomacy…and very effectively.
Many threads to a proxy war. Research US Aid for a start and the “missing billions”. I will reiterate, corruption rules. Two guys I know left their “Legion” because they could not deal with the fact that crates of M16’s, thousands of rounds of ammunition just disappeared in the dark on the backs of trucks. Whilst they were issued Soviet made AK’s. Yes, people die and needlessly. It has gone on too long. All we see is Trump saying “enough”. Yet he is lambasted everywhere. Do not forget this war makes fat profits for many, so they have a vested interest in it not ending. When western weapons start turning up in terrorists hands? Ask yourselves some serious questions. Finally? The main obstacle to even a ceasefire is Zelensky.
What a load of bollocks! The only obstacle to peace is pootin he can stop this war NOW with a simple phone call🤬
Spouting all your crap is not going to alter the facts of who started this madness is it?
John, what has happened in your life to get you to the point where you believe utter bullshit and Russian talking points? If you need a chat, there is plenty of help out there. I know loads of people like you who have a miserable existence and soak up all the bullshit that floats around.
do you realize that “aid money” actually never leaves the US? the US govt. pays US farmers for goods and US defence companies for hardware and then those goods are shipped to Ukraine.
so if billions of dollars are missing as you claim (without evidence) it is probably in the US
Also all the official independent investigations have demonstrated no evidence of waste.
Patently not true. The USA has paid billions into ukraines pension funds and paid directly to fix their power grid. That involves purchases almost exclusively from other former USSR states.
The missing billions were a diplomatic answer to the FSB talking point about corruption because they never existed and it’s rude to call out the liar in chief when you depend on US munitions.
Double counting the DoD weapons sustainment budget to make the USA look good was an error of the previous administration.
Unfortunately the poorly educated don’t know this so imagine that more money was spent.
The weapons sustainment is replacing the time expired weapons in USA inventory so American jobs profits and taxes. So those billions cannot be in Ukraine as they never left USA.
The time expired weapons cost money to dispose safely, saved by sending them to Ukraine.
Any evidence or just tinfoil hat hatred towards a nation trying to defend itself against an invader.
I wonder if this John lives in Milton Keynes, like a previous infamous Putin propagandist…
I thought the MK stood for Moscow Kremlin.
Are you still in MK?
Trump is not remotely interested in a peaceful resolution to the Russian war against Ukraine. All he really wants to do is humiliate Zelenskyy and extract as much leverage from Ukraine as possible due to his childish sense of vengeance and grievance over Zelenskyy not allowing himself to be played by Trump in 2019 when he tried to link military aid to information on Hunter Biden. His actions so far have been to Putin’s benefit, he is enabling him militarily, politically and diplomatically. It is a shameful betrayal of a country, of allies and it’s own values.
Of course his not, there was a peace conference attended by over 190 countries and Russia didn’t turn up. I have no idea what leverage they have on trump but his talking nonsense about them wanting peace and won’t attack again.
Such a sad, sad, situation. Destroying centuries of bonds in a matter of days.
US is to stop participation of NATO exercises after 2025
Just read that. Also Trump is considering redeploying US forces in Germany to Hungary or just abandoning Europe entirely.
Seriously when is the UK government going to get serious about defence? 2.5% is not going to be anywhere near enough
What’s there to discuss? The offical position of the trump adminstration is the Ukraine has lost and Russia needs their support.
China must be laughing. It was highly unlikely that the US would get militarly involved if they attacked Taiwan but not it’s confirmed that US reassurances are worthless.
Trump is a chaos merchant and cannot be trusted. This is the new normal. The terrible thing is that Putin wins either way. He’s finally driven a wedge between the US and Europe.
A drunk, a cheating husband, and an accused sexual predator walk into a bar, and the bartender says,
“Table for one, Mr. Hegseth?”
Also apply to DJT
This situation is of our own making.
You don’t cut your military down to the bone, then expect to have lots of options when everything goes down the pan. Again – we learned nothing from history. Again – we find ourselves woefully ill equipped to help our allies.
What IS new, is our national reliance on the US, which we ought to be utterly ASHAMED of. Ukraine can’t even use UK BUILT weapons without US approval. What were we thinking?
we could have stopped this even with our current armed forces. Putin tested the water in 2014 with his little green men invasion of crimea, to see what NATO reaction would be, which was zip. If we or any other NATO member had help kicked them out, which wouldn’t have required a major deployment, the full war would not have happened. We then had a second chance when Russia started building troops up on the border, again if NATO had deployed forces under the banner of training, the war wouldn’t have happened.
If you give in to a bully they just keep taking more.
Quote by Keith Kellog, US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.
“Very candidly, they brought it on themselves, the Ukrainians,” Kellogg said as the veteran diplomats, academics, and journalists in the room recoiled in surprise.
Zelensky is stressed out. You don’t openly contradict the president of the United States on TV in the Oval office. Sad to say, Vance was right; contrition, gratitude and humility were the order of the day. Righteous indignation and being technically right were the wrong approach. My grandmother used to say, if you can’t say anything nice its usually better not to say anything at all.
Kellog is a disgrace then. Can’t believe a former General has not read military history. By analogy, he presumably thinks the US brought on the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Lets keep calm. Regardless of Trump being Putin’s stooge he’s only in for his 4 year term ( unlike Putin unfortunately). Then a good chance his successor will unwind all ths sillyness and get things back to normal.
I doubt it. The democrats hate European freeloading too. The first to publicly criticize the 2% was Obama. Trump is just the fall guy doing what they all wanted.
Right wing, left wing – all on the same bird
I don’t think the UK or Europe as a whole should be beholden to the USA for anything.
The UK needs to reinvest, rearm, re equip and prepare, we’ve got max 2-3 years before everything goes south.
2.5% isn’t anywhere near enough. 3% is likely not enough.
We need for es able to check an imperialistic state looking to expansion through conquest.
So more frigates, more subs, more aircraft, more attack helicopters and drones, more air defences, more tanks (or more accurately all our current tanks upgraded, every last one of them) a new IFV with a turret that can do drone defence/ SHORAD. The recent RC155 artillery contract is a start. Hopefully around 200 guns ordered.
A new batch of typhoon, more Poseidon MPAs, all 5 Wedgetails and an additional 5. Another batch of 36 F35Bs.
Gbad- Samp/T, land Ceptor, radar guided 40mm Bofors guns. Dragon fire or an equivalent direct energy weapons.
We shouldn’t be setting a percentage just a clear outline of what is needed to defend the UKs national interest, EEZ, offshore infrastructure and to help defend our allies.
European NATO with 600 million citizens should not be frightened or threatened by Russia with a GDP less than 10% of the EUs and a population of 150 million Vs EUs 600 million.
Once the EU rearms they will have a technological and quantitative edge over anything Russia can field
Agree
The only bits I would add are
1) MAD..we need to be able to show Russia we can destroy every major city that’s 500 warheads.
2) expeditionary capabilities..we need to be able to protect our interests in the south Atlantic, Africa and Indian Ocean regions.
And the US is no longer planning to participate in any military exercises in Europe. So to me that’s leading up to them leaving.
That is in two years time…..that is a lot of sleeps….now I’m unconvinced Trump thinks about anything [except, perhaps which p***y to grab] I’m certain he doesn’t understand anything…..I’m also certain that he doesn’t carry thought forwards many days [if at all]. Further I’m certain that all his policy [can’t be plural?] is developed on X and Social ‘Truth’.
A 10 year old kid summarised Trump really well at a picnic today ‘it is just like arguing with a kid’.
Trump will be off arguing for a bigger box of LEGO, more fries or more TV time.
The cheeseburger eating surrender monkey.
Jonathan,
Agree that UK (and France) would be well advised to significantly increase inventories of deployed nuclear weapons. Some proportion of this increase can be accomplished by increasing number of warheads routinely carried on CASD patrols by Vanguard (and future Dreadnought) classes. The RN will relatively soon have the technical capability to deploy weapons aboard certain surface vessels and the eventual SSN-A class. Would strongly recommend RAF participation in operational plan, as well. A single point failure node should not be a design feature of an operations plan.
Yes the RN needs the full 144 warheads per boat.. that essentially means 432 warheads on 3 boats ( ones always in bits).
Essentially as long as the UK can get 2 boats to sea that’s 288 warheads.. also it would be possible to set a system to launch boat threes missiles while it was against the wall ( they did look at that as part of the Cold War deterrence).
Finally it’s probably time to work with France on an air launched option, 100 air launched missiles would give another arm , maybe work to get ASMP on typhoon ( Germany may end up wanting that as well) then work with France on its new hypersonic nuclear missile for the 2030s.
If France has the same and Germany and Poland each have 100 air launched missiles Europe will have a nuclear deterrent that Russia could never convince itself that it could take.
Absolutely, an airborne option, intelligently cooperatively developed and possibly operated, need not require all the coin of the realm. USAF demonstrates a significant deterrent capability 24/7/365, w/ a small current fleet composed principally of 60+ yr. old bombers.
A relatively easy tactical nuke for the UK using existing bits, might be a Trident warhead minus the fusion boost, so 6.5 kilotons rather than 100 kilotons, packaged in a Paveway IV bomb body & using its guidance.
Mr. Bell,
Agree in principle, the UK should order more equipment. The real operational issue is securing additional funding. Will the UK be able to access any portion of the €800Bn EU fund being created for additional defence expenditures? Alternatively, what proportion of the $300+Bn in sequestered RU Central Bank funds is controlled by HMG/BoE, and additionally, is a plan being developed to confiscate same? Hopefully, someone has been tasked w/ providing answers. Freedom express trains unfortunately rely upon a funding rail system. 🤔🤞
The UK has just changed the rules on its national wealth fund, that was funding for clean energy but now defence companies can bid for the funds as well.. it’s a lot of money around 35 billion in development funds UK defence companies can now dib into.
Unfortunately, that amount will barely serve as a down payment re required investment, however, any forward motion should be applauded…😊👍
To truly show the break up of the US Europe break up Rubio something of a turncoat Weasel from even last November was clearly embarrassed at being humiliated in the Oval Office by Trump and Vance’s antics, could he sink further into that sofa? As a result to try to compete and show he can beat vileas his masters he has now taken to insulting Poland and its defence Minister for daring to suggest that as it was paying for Starlink a doubt over its future provision hinted at by some US flunky meant that an alternative service may be needed. And of course mad Musk had to lay into him with his usual childish insults. The total lack of decency and self awareness on the part of the American Administration is mind blowing, how low can they sink while the sheep fight to gain the approval of the President, be it Trump or Musk from one day to the next. So any comment from any of the US apporachiks purporting to suggest mutual support or agreement needs to be taken with a dose of Musks Ketamine. To them we are just the useful idiots to be manipulated to help keep the Europeans relatively docile at least while it suits them.
Trump(finger) & Elon (odd job) Musk.