Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell provided the following readout:
On April 17, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met with his French counterpart, Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu at the Pentagon. The Secretary urged France to increase defense spending and, alongside other NATO allies, take primary responsibility for Europe's conventional defense. Secretary Hegseth and Minister Lecornu discussed related priorities, as well, including ongoing efforts toward a durable peace in Ukraine.