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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday, where he attended a security meeting following President Trump’s historic peace deal in the Middle East earlier this week.
Hegseth delivered remarks alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where he highlighted a need for European countries to donate more weaponry to Ukraine, while pushing a narrative for peace.
“You get peace when you are strong,” he said. “Not when you use strong words or wag your finger. You get it when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect…Our expectation today is that more countries donate even more, that they purchase even more to provide for Ukraine to bring that conflict to a peaceful conclusion.”
He added, “I think the world is seeing that we have a peace president who seeks that peace through standing by those that stand with the United States and stand for peace, which is what we saw [in the Middle East], and I hope we can see in Ukraine.”
The Secretary of War also gave remarks during the business meeting, where he noted that European leaders, in their unified support for Ukraine, are sending a “clear message” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Now is the time to end this tragic war, stop the needless bloodshed, and come to the peace table. Now, if this war does not end, if there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression,” Hegseth stated. “If we must take this step, the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do.”
Hegseth noted that the United States maintained the position that the best deterrent to Russian aggression was a “lethal, capable, and European-led NATO” and a “combat credible Ukrainian military able to defend itself.”
He described this approach as “peace through strength.”
“Under President Trump’s steadfast leadership, and in particular with our European allies, we’re going to bring an end to the war in Ukraine – the war must end, like we saw him do in Gaza and in the Middle East, President Trump knows how to forge peace,” Hegseth added.