New US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrived for his first meetings at NATO headquarters Wednesday looking to push European nations over support for Ukraine and ramping up military spending.

Washington's allies are waiting nervously for clarity from President Donald Trump's administration after the volatile leader demanded NATO more than double its spending target and vowed to end the war in Ukraine.

Hegseth's two days of talks in Brussels with his counterparts from NATO and Ukraine are part of a flurry of visits to Europe this week by top US officials.

Those will culminate with Vice President JD Vance meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a security conference in Munich on Friday.

"Arrived at NATO HQ. Our commitment is clear: NATO must be a stronger, more lethal force -- not a diplomatic club," Hegseth wrote on X. "Time for allies to meet the moment."

The Pentagon chief on Wednesday will sit down with an international coalition of Ukraine's backers before huddling with the 31........

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