Pentagon chief dismisses claims Trump is making concessions to Putin
Photo: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump is not making concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The American leader is negotiating with the Kremlin chief from a position of strength, stated the US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during a press conference.
"The arguments that have been made that somehow coming to the table right now is making concessions to Vladimir Putin outright, that the president of the United States shouldn’t otherwise make … I just reject that at its face," Hegseth said.
According to him, Putin is ready for talks because he responds to force and sees Trump as a strong opponent.
"Any suggestion that President Trump is doing anything other than negotiating from a position of strength is, on its face, ahistorical and false,” Hegseth said.
Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned the US against making concessions regarding Ukraine before official negotiations begin. According to him, Berlin also insists on Europe's participation in the negotiation process.
Pistorius believes that if Russian President Vladimir Putin is truly seeking peace, he should stop attacking Ukraine. The Minister expressed doubts about Putin's intentions.
He also emphasized that Europe must be involved in any negotiations concerning Ukraine, especially if President Trump expects European allies to play a peacekeeping role in any future agreement, as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggests.
At the same time, Pistorius stressed that it would be better if the US did not make concessions to Russia before negotiations even begin, referring to issues such as Ukraine's NATO membership or any territorial losses. In his view, a quick peace agreement will not solve all problems, and Europeans cannot just "sit back and relax".
