US Secretary Of Defense To Start Mon. Week-Long Tour To Europe

2025-02-07 07:05:18

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (KUNA) - US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will depart Washington, D.C., on February 10 for a week-long trip to Germany, Belgium, and Poland to engage with U.S. and Allied leaders on strengthening deterrence, supporting warfighters, and advancing national security interests.
In a press statement, the Pentagon said Hegseth's first stop will be in Germany, where he will visit US European Command (USEUCOM) and US Africa Command (AFRICOM) headquarters to meet with senior military leaders and receive updates on operations in both theaters.
He will also meet with US service members stationed in Germany to reaffirm the administration's commitment to their mission and readiness.
From Germany, Secretary Hegseth will travel to Brussels, Belgium, to attend the NATO Defense Ministerial and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting.
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.
At the UDCG, the first to be chaired by the United Kingdom, the Secretary will reiterate President 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.
His final stop will be Poland, where he will meet with Polish leaders to discuss our strong bilateral defense cooperation, continued deterrence efforts along NATO's eastern flank, and Poland's leadership as a model ally in defense investment and burden-sharing in NATO.
He will also visit US troops stationed in Poland to discuss their critical role in the region.
Throughout this trip, Secretary Hegseth will emphasize the importance of strengthening alliances, increasing defense readiness, and ensuring that American warfighters remain the most lethal force in the world by demonstrating peace through strength. (end)
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