The new US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will visit Belgium, Germany, and Poland next week, the Pentagon announced on Friday.
On 10 February, Hegseth will travel to Germany, where he will visit the US European Command (USEUCOM) and the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) in Stuttgart. During his visit, he will also meet with US military personnel stationed in Germany.
He will then proceed to Belgium on 12 February to attend a meeting on aid to Ukraine. Hegseth is expected to “underscore President Donald Trump’s commitment to ending the war in Ukraine through diplomatic means as soon as possible,” according to the Pentagon. On 13 February, he will participate in the NATO Defense Ministers meeting. Discussions during this meeting will focus on increasing NATO countries’ defense spending, strengthening European leadership, and expanding the defense industry’s capabilities on both sides of the Atlantic.
Finally, Hegseth will visit Poland to discuss bilateral relations and the defense of NATO’s eastern flank with Polish leaders. He will also meet with US military personnel stationed in Poland.
