The Pentagon has indicated that the United States intends to play only a limited role in any long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, raising concerns among NATO allies that Europe will be left to bear the brunt of peacekeeping efforts once Russia’s invasion comes to an end.
According to Politico, the message was delivered Tuesday night by Elbridge Colby, the U.S. Defense undersecretary for policy, during a private huddle with European military leaders led by Joint Chiefs chair Gen. Dan Caine. Defense chiefs from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Finland pressed the U.S. delegation for clarity on what military support Washington would provide, but were told America’s role would be minimal.
“There’s the dawning reality that this will be Europe making this happen on the ground,” one NATO diplomat briefed on the talks said. “The U.S. is not fully committed to anything.”
The conversations came just days after President Donald Trump met with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in what was billed as a show of unity. Trump initially declared on Monday that he was prepared to send U.S. troops to Ukraine but reversed course the following day, suggesting instead that Washington might provide air support while leaving European nations to deploy ground forces.
The apparent shift has rattled NATO members, who are already weighing plans to establish a peacekeeping force in Ukraine and expand arms purchases from the U.S. for Kyiv’s defense.
Colby’s role in the discussions has also raised eyebrows among allies. As Politico previously reported, he has developed a close partnership with Caine and earlier this year oversaw a review of U.S. munitions stockpiles that led Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to briefly freeze military assistance to Ukraine. Colby has long argued that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defense.
Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson defended Colby’s comments, saying he had been relaying guidance from both Trump and Hegseth. “At the event, Under Secretary Colby focused on ensuring the discussion reflected President Trump’s statements on the matter,” Wilson said in a statement.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who attended the White House meeting, later briefed the alliance’s 32 members in Brussels on the conversations and emphasized that security guarantees for Ukraine remain at an early stage. European defense chiefs were expected to follow up with a more detailed video call to explore possible scenarios.
While the White House has floated Budapest as a potential location for peace talks between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, officials caution that progress will be slow. “The main takeaway is [a peace deal] is not moving very quickly,” one European official said.
The uncertainty underscores the challenge facing NATO as it seeks to develop a credible plan for Ukraine’s future security—one that may now depend far more heavily on European resolve than on American firepower.
