The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s flight to the Munich Security Conference was forced to turn back due to a cracked windscreen, but the drama was eclipsed by a diplomatic storm sparked by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In a speech that stunned America’s allies, Hegseth suggested Ukraine would have to make significant concessions to secure a peace deal with Russia, including abandoning its bid for Nato membership and accepting that it may never recover its sovereign territory occupied by Russia. He also stated that European, not US troops, would be responsible for keeping the peace.
Critics, including some Republicans, accused Hegseth of handing Ukraine’s leverage to Russia, with former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt describing the approach as “innovative” but ultimately flawed ยน.
The following day, Hegseth clarified that all options remained on the table, but his initial comments had already sparked concern among European leaders, who are set to meet in Paris on Monday to discuss Ukraine’s peace negotiations.
Meanwhile, Vice-President JD Vance appeared to contradict Hegseth, suggesting that the US could use “military tools of leverage” to compel Russia to agree to a deal.
President Trump, when questioned about Hegseth’s comments, acknowledged being aware of the general thrust of the speech, but added that he would “speak to Pete, I’ll find out”.
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