U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Reuters Yonhap News.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated on the 15th (local time) that Europe must take the lead in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to deter Russian aggression.

According to Bloomberg, Secretary Hegseth made these remarks at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting held in Brussels, Belgium, stating, "The United States will continue to fulfill its commitments to the alliance, but we also expect other nations to strengthen their own defense capabilities."

He expressed his support for a model of assisting Ukraine in which European nations pay to purchase U.S.-made weapons, warning European countries that there "should be no free riders."

This weapons support system, known as the Priority Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), was launched in August in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that Europe bear the costs of supporting Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that more than half of the 32 NATO member states have participated in the U.S. weapons procurement system, pledging 2 billion euros (3.3 trillion won), and added, "I thank President Trump once again."

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (left) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. AFP Yonhap News.

Countries that have contributed to or expressed their intent to contribute to the PURL to date include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, and Estonia.

UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey stated, "The UK is also actively considering supporting Ukraine through the PURL."

DPA reported that it remains to be seen whether other major European economies, such as France, Italy, and Spain, will participate.

In response to concerns that military aid to Ukraine has decreased since the summer, Secretary General Rutte countered, "That is not true. Overall, it remains at a similar level to last year, and key matters are continuing to progress."

According to data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany, military aid to Ukraine between July and August of this year averaged 2.26 billion euros (3.7 trillion won) per month, a 42.5% decrease from the monthly average of 3.94 billion euros (6.5 trillion won) in the first half of the year.

Ukrainian Minister of Defence Denys Shmyhal stated that Ukraine requires between $12 billion and $20 billion (17.1 trillion to 28.5 trillion won) in military assistance through the PURL next year.

Yonhap News