United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, front left, and Britain’s Defense Secretary John Healey, front second left, pose with other ministers during a group photo of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 13 ...

European governments are reeling after the Trump administration signaled that it is planning face-to-face talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine.

As global security challenges evolve, questions about defense spending and strategic priorities become more pressing. The latest remarks from the U.S. Secretary of Defense highlight these growing divisions within NATO.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will become on Wednesday the first member of the new Trump administration to visit NATO

NATO members will have to bolster their defense spending by “considerably more than 3%” of their GDP, the alliance’s Secretary General Mark Rutte said.

The U.S. defense secretary also said that a return to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders, before Russia invaded Crimea and eastern Ukraine, “is an unrealistic objective.”

Hegseth suggests way forward for Ukraine is for the country to abandon hopes of a return to its pre-2014 borders.

Hegseth held talks with U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey before meeting with Ukraine Defense Contract Group (UDCG) at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Germany's likely next Chancellor Friedrich Merz questioned on Sunday whether NATO would remain in its "current form" by June in light of the comments by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, and that Europe must quickly establish an independent defence capability.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte weighs in on talks to end Russia's war in Ukraine and the future of the military alliance on 'The Story.'