US Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, defended President Donald Trump’s call for peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that it was “certainly not a betrayal” of Ukraine. Hegseth argued that peace would require both sides to make uncomfortable concessions. Trump’s announcement on Wednesday to initiate peace talks caught Ukraine and European allies off guard, with the European powers insisting that Ukraine must be included in any future negotiations.

Germany’s defence minister, Boris Pistorius, criticized Washington for making concessions to Russia before talks even began, while NATO and European leaders emphasized the necessity of Ukraine’s involvement in discussions. NATO chief Mark Rutte and Britain’s Defence Secretary John Healey reiterated that Ukraine must have a central role in any negotiations. European ministers, including Estonia’s Hanno Pevkur, stressed the importance of Europe’s involvement given their financial and military support for Ukraine.