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.

President Donald Trump's administration is not sending U.S. troops into Ukraine, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday. Speaking with reporters in Germany, Hegseth also said that he would push European allies to spend more on defense when he meets with them this week.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a blunt message to NATO allies Wednesday: U.S. troops will not be part of any future peace-keeping mission in Ukraine. Nor should NATO's Article 5 protections — under which the U.