Against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s latest comments on Ukraine and its future (see 8.17 post), US defence secretary Pete Hegseth will tomorrow become the first member of the new White House administration to visit NATO headquarters, where the allies are keen to understand how America now plans to influence the course of the war in Ukraine.

Hegseth’s trip comes just ahead of the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Most US allies fear Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine’s borders if he wins, and that Europe’s biggest land war in decades poses an existential threat to their security.

Hegseth will first take part in a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at NATO’s Brussels headquarters.

Former defence secretary Lloyd Austin set up the main international forum for drumming up arms and ammunition for Ukraine in 2022.

Over the last three years, around 50 countries have collectively provided Ukraine more than $126 billion in weapons and military assistance.

For the first time, the meeting will be convened by another country; the UK.

No decision has been made on who might chair the next meeting, if one is convened.

Hegseth was not expected to make any announcement on new weapons for Ukraine. He was not set to meet one on one with his Ukrainian counterparts, but rather to be in a “listening mode” at the meeting, as well as at Thursday’s NATO defence ministerial, one US official said.

“The secretary will reiterate President Trump’s commitment for a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine as quickly as possible,” the Pentagon said, prior to Hegseth’s departure.

“He will also highlight the need for increased European leadership on security assistance to Ukraine.”

America’s 31 NATO allies also want to hear what a new Trump administration has in store for the world’s biggest security organisation.

Trump traumatised his European partners last time by threatening not to defend any member that doesn’t meet NATO guidelines for military spending.

A senior NATO diplomat said that “constructive dialogue with the new American administration would be the most important outcome” of the meeting, along with a US commitment to do everything we can to keep Ukraine in the fight.