Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth drew firm limits on US support for Ukraine in a speech to NATO allies on Wednesday, spurning its aspirations for membership in the alliance and rejecting proposals that American troops be deployed to help guarantee a ceasefire in its war with Russia.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has trained with U.S. Marines in Germany ahead of his first NATO meeting. Hegseth is currently on a week-long trip that includes visits to Germany, Belgium and Poland, after he narrowly made it through the Senate's confirmation process in which Vice President JD Vance had to cast a tie-breaking vote.

US Secretaru of Defense Pete Hegseth’s purpose of visiting Brussels was to work with NATO allies and partners to discuss boosting “Allied defense spending, increase European leadership