ISTANBUL

Tensions between the Trump administration and Ukraine escalated after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth privately informed Ukrainian officials in a Feb. 12 meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy that Washington was considering reducing its military presence in Europe to prioritize the Asia-Pacific and the southern US border, according to five US officials and another person familiar with the meeting.

The revelation stunned Kyiv, heightening concerns over Trump’s shifting stance on NATO and Ukraine’s security, NBC reported.

Behind closed doors, Ukrainian officials grew increasingly worried about conflicting signals from senior Trump advisers concerning Ukraine’s potential NATO membership and its role in negotiations with Russia to end the war. According to NBC, Zelenskyy was warned that his meetings with top Trump administration officials could be canceled unless he swiftly agreed to certain demands.

Just before Hegseth’s Feb. 12 speech in Brussels, Department of State officials advised him not to rule out NATO membership for Ukraine in a peace settlement.

However, Hegseth ignored the advice, saying: “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.”

When questioned by NBC, Pentagon Press Secretary John Ullyot denied the report as “100% false.”

Ullyot stated that "at no time was Secretary Hegseth advised by administration officials to avoid casting doubt on NATO membership," emphasizing that his remarks were "coordinated with senior members of the president’s national security team" and fully supported.

The press secretary added that "the president himself reinforced Secretary Hegseth’s remarks concerning NATO membership shortly thereafter in his own public comments in the Oval Office." He also clarified that Hegseth "made no announcement on, nor timeline for, a drawdown of U.S. troops in Europe."

During their travels last week, both Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance emphasized that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defense as the US shifts focus.

From Trump’s viewpoint, Zelenskyy was resisting what the White House deemed reasonable demands, despite Ukraine receiving more than $75 billion in US military aid.

Trump believed Zelenskyy was unwilling to make necessary compromises and grew frustrated with Ukraine’s public complaints about being left out of US-Russia peace talks.

“There is frustration,” a White House official stated, accusing Zelenskyy and some European leaders of attempting to “denigrate” Trump’s peace efforts, NBC reported.

As tensions mounted, Trump on Tuesday blamed Ukraine for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade the country, and called for new elections in Kyiv.

When Zelenskyy pushed back, accusing Trump of spreading Russian “disinformation,” Trump intensified his rhetoric, branding the Ukrainian president a “dictator” who had done a “terrible job.”

On Feb. 12, Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that he had a “highly productive phone call” with Putin, during which they agreed to “initiate negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.”

That same day, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, presenting a proposal that would grant the US the ownership of half of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, which he emphasized are “critical for various technologies.”

When Zelenskyy requested time to consider, Bessent pressed him to decide within an hour, warning that his upcoming meetings with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “could be canceled” if no agreement was reached.

Ultimately, Zelenskyy left the agreement in limbo, citing concerns over Ukraine’s sovereignty and long-term economic and security interests.