“There is no replacement for hard power,” he said, after warning that confronting Russia was an “important European responsibility”.
The United States has underpinned European security through NATO over the past seven decades.
Yet, when asked whether the United States, which currently spends around 3.4 per cent of GDP on defence, planned to reach the five per cent target itself Hegseth was noncommittal.
“Ultimately, we have our own budgetary considerations to be had,” he said.
Addressing concerns over red lines on Ukraine that he outlined on Wednesday – including that Kyiv’s aim of returning to its pre-2014 borders was “illusionary” – Hegseth denied they amounted to “concessions” to Putin.
“It’s a recognition of the hard power realities on the ground,” he said.
