Pentagon chief to visit Germany, Belgium, Poland next week

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will depart the US on Monday for a weeklong trip to Europe to engage in talks, said the Pentagon.

"His first stop will be in Germany, where he will visit U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) headquarters to meet with senior military leaders and receive updates on operations in both theaters," the Pentagon said in a statement Friday.

Hegseth will also meet with US service members stationed in Germany.

His next stop will be Brussels, Belgium, where he will attend a NATO defense ministers meeting and Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting on Thursday.

"At his first NATO Ministerial with Allied counterparts, he will engage with NATO Allies and partners to discuss the need to boost Allied defense spending, increase European leadership, and expand defense industrial base capacity on both sides of the Atlantic," said the statement.

At the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Hegseth will reiterate President Donald Trump's commitment for a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine "as quickly as possible."

"He will also highlight the need for increased European leadership on security assistance to Ukraine," it said.

His final stop will be Poland, where he will meet with Polish leaders to discuss bilateral defense cooperation.

Hegseth will also visit US troops stationed in Poland to discuss their "critical" role in the region, according to the statement.