His statements come after US President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Wednesday with his counterparts from Russia, Vladimir Putin, and Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in a first step to try to end the war in Ukraine.
Hegseth today assured that "no country" has made "a greater commitment" to Ukraine than the United States in the face of Russia's large-scale invasion, stating that Washington has provided Kiev with "over 300 billion dollars."
"So the United States has invested in stabilizing those front lines after Russia's aggression. There is no betrayal there. There is a recognition that everyone and the United States are dedicated and interested in peace, a negotiated peace, as President Trump has said, to end the killings," he asserted.
He added that this will require both Moscow and Kiev to "acknowledge things they do not want."
"My job as Secretary of Defense, working alongside NATO, is to ensure that the defense capabilities of this alliance are as strong and robust as possible to deter any future aggression on the continent," he explained.
The Secretary of Defense stated that Americans are "an active part" of NATO and will continue to be so.
Nevertheless, he emphasized that investing 2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in defense "is not enough."