Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted British Defense Secretary John Healey today for a bilateral engagement at the Pentagon, where they discussed the increased role that Britain and other NATO countries are taking toward securing peace in Ukraine.
"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.
"U.K. leadership is absolutely critical, and we very much appreciate it," he added.
As an example of that leadership, Hegseth pointed out that last month, Healey, for the first time, chaired the gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group — a multinational coalition that meets regularly to discuss Ukraine's security needs.
It was at that meeting of the UDCG where Hegseth first called on European nations to "meet the moment" and begin viewing the safeguarding of their own continent as an "imperative."
"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.
He added that European leadership of NATO, led by the U.K. and others, is the future of defense on the continent.
Noting that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced last week the largest increase in defense spending since the Cold War, Healey said the U.K. will continue to be a leader in European defense.
"You challenged us to step up in Ukraine, on defense spending [and] on European security, and I say to you that we have, we are, and we will further," Healey told Hegseth.
"I'm here today to strengthen that defense and security bond between our two nations. It's needed now more than ever in this new era that we must face together," he added.
During a brief Q&A following opening remarks, when asked whether the U.S. has permanently ended resupplying Ukraine with weapons, Hegseth reiterated that the program is only "on pause" pending a true commitment to a 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 on the suggestion that the U.S. is "voicing the same narrative" as Russia regarding the war in Ukraine.
"Our president is interested in peace," Hegseth said, adding that the president was elected — in part — to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine and that he is working with both Russia and Ukraine to do just that.
"And I can tell you, from being behind the scenes, "that [Trump] is laser-focused on making that happen," he continued. "And we're closer today than we've ever been because of his leadership."