'Uncle Sam isn't Uncle Sucker,' US tells Nato - as Zelenskyy says Trump-Putin deal to end war 'must involve Ukraine'

13 February 2025, 18:39 | Updated: 13 February 2025, 21:22

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has declared "Uncle Sam isn't Uncle Sucker" in an address to Nato - as the alliance backed Ukraine's role in negotiations between Trump and Putin.

Speaking after meeting European counterparts, Mr Hegseth says Donald Trump had given him a "clear mission" to "achieve peace through strength as well as put America first".

America's pushback came after Ukraine's president warned the US not to "allow everything to go to Putin's plan" after Trump claimed that he and Vladimir Putin had agreed to start talks on ending the conflict.

The US president held individual calls with the Russian leader and Mr Zelensky on Wednesday.

Following the Nato meeting, Secretary General Mark Rutte asserted that "Ukraine will be involved in peace talks" ahead of any international negotiations to end the war with Russia.

Speaking on Thursday, Mr Rutte highlighted that Nato allies are "united" in the view Ukraine should have a seat at the negotiating table, adding the alliance must ensure Ukraine is in the "best possible position" ahead of talks.

The Nato chief added the organisation must adopt a "wartime mindset" during his address, delivered in front of allied nations in Brussels on Thursday.

"NATO should pursue these goals as well," Hegseth told the media following talks with Rutte and other Nato members.

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"NATO is a great alliance, the most successful defence alliance in history. But to endure for the future, our partners must do far more for Europe's defence," he continued.

"Trump won't allow anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker"

It comes as former US security advisor, John Bolton, told LBC he thinks it's "highly probable that Trump will try and withdraw the United States from NATO".

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"He's already setting preconditions that will justify it," Bolton continued.

"First, he said back in his initial term, 'well, all these Europeans are not spending 2% of GDP on defence' - which they pledged to do at the Cardiff NATO summit in 2014.

"Now he's saying you need to spend 5% of GDP on defence. I personally think that's what the US should spend. I think in a challenging world we're not spending enough, and we're at about 3% now."

The comments followed an initial call between Trump and Putin, in which the US President vowed to visit Moscow in the coming months.

Following the Nato meeting, Mr Rutte was seen to shake the hands with Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov address the media during a meeting

He added that Nato provided €50 billion in support to Ukraine, with 60% of this coming from Europe and Canada.

His comments reflect recent claims made by the US President Donald Trump, who calling on Nato members to increase financial contributions.

On Thursday, Zelenskyy announced he was "grateful to President Trump" after the pair shared a phone call.

Ukraine's president added he does not see Trump's phone call with the Russian leader "as a sign that talking to Russia was a priority for the US president"

Zelensky added that he won't "accept any agreements" made without Ukraine's involvement, adding it's "not very pleasing in any case".

"There can be no talk about Ukraine without Ukraine", he confirmed, adding: "Europeans need to be at the negotiating table too".

Hours earlier, the UK Defence Secretary declared there can be no peace negotiations linked to the war in Ukraine without Ukraine’s permission.

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Donald Trump has said that the US will seek to claw back some of the money that it has sent to Ukraine, as he agreed to meet with Vladimir Putin and begin negotiations to end the war.

The US president said he wanted to get back part of the money his country has provided to Ukraine since the invasion in 2022 "in some form".

Trump and Putin had a 90-minute phone call on Wednesday in which they agreed to meet and begin negotiations to end the three-year war.

His Secretary of Defence said earlier that European countries would now have to provide "the overwhelming share of future lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine".

Speaking today, UK defence secretary John Healey said: "There can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine and Ukraine's voice must be at the heart of any talks."

He added: "We all want to see a durable peace and no return to conflict and aggression - and let's not forget, Russia remains a threat well beyond Ukraine.

"Ukrainians are fighting bravely ... it's our job as defence ministers here at Nato, to put them in the best position to secure a lasting peace through strength."

Discussing his phone call with Putin, Trump said: "We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other's nations," Trump posted on social media.

The pair agreed to have "our respective teams start negotiations immediately" where the war in Ukraine is concerned.

Trump said later that he expected to meet Putin in Saudi Arabia. He said he was unsure when the meeting would be but that it would take place in the not-too-distant future.

The president also said he believed Putin "wants peace".

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"We will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now," Trump said on Wednesday.

Trump claimed the leaders both "believe very strongly" in common sense and have also committed in a phone call to visit each other's countries.

The US president also spoke to Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy of their conversation and denied that he was freezing him out of talks.

"The fact he was on the phone with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy today shows he is actively involved in negotiations," Karoline Leavitt told the media during a White House press conference on Wednesday evening.

At a Nato meeting in Brussels earlier in the day, America's defence secretary said Europe should be "empowered" to "own responsibility for its own security".