Troop deployments to Ukraine and defence funding are on the agenda — two issues where extraordinary events are forcing significant shifts. Here, Belgium’s defence minister leans into boots on the ground,

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, left, greets U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg prior to a meeting at EU headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, Feb. 18,

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attends a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on the eve of a NATO defence ministers' meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 12,

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, left, speaks with Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey during a group photo of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Feb.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday said a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is "unrealistic." He also cast doubt on Ukraine's NATO membership prospects and suggested that Kyiv should consider a negotiated settlement with Russia backed by an international peacekeeping force.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on the eve of a NATO defence ministers' meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 12,

Obama officials and Trump critics are up in arms after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a return to the Eastern European country's pre-war borders with Russia is "unrealistic." Hegseth, speaking to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Belgium on Wednesday,

Sweden's Defense Minister Pal Jonson speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Harry

Speaking at a NATO meeting in Belgium, the defense secretary said the U.S. would no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship with its allies.

However, the delay in receiving the Belgian Fighting Falcons could help ensure that aviators are given extra time to train on the multirole aircraft.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths first overseas trip stirred controversy, particularly in Europe, due to his remarks on Ukraine and NATO, but earned praise from President Donald Trump. During his visit to Belgium,