European countries need to invest in defense now, as they cannot assume that the presence of the United States on the continent will last forever, said the U.S. Secretary of Defense during a visit to Warsaw today.

Pointing to Poland, which plans to spend 4.7% of its GDP on defense this year, as a model ally, Pete Hegseth emphasized Washington’s demand that NATO’s European allies take on a larger share of the financial burden for their own security.

“What happens five, ten, or fifteen years from now is part of a bigger discussion reflecting the level of threat, America’s posture, our needs around the world, but, most importantly, the ability of European countries to increase” (their defense spending), he said in a press conference.

“And that’s why our message to our European allies is so strong. Now is the time to invest, because you cannot assume that America’s presence will last forever.”

Echoing remarks made at the NATO defense ministers’ summit in Brussels, where he warned Europe not to treat Washington like a “fool” who will ultimately be responsible for Europe’s defense, he said that Washington faces numerous threats, including China, among others.

In his first overseas trip since taking charge of the Pentagon on January 24, Hegseth caused a backlash in Europe when he announced on Wednesday that a return to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders was unrealistic and that the Trump administration did not consider Ukraine’s NATO membership as part of the solution to the war caused by Russia’s 2022 invasion.

Critics of Hegseth argue that his statements amounted to the U.S. abandoning its leverage in negotiations with Russia before they even begin, resulting in a significant win, as they described it, for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Hegseth defended his comments, stating that they reflect an acknowledgment of battlefield realities and left open the possibility of U.S. moves during negotiations that could be seen as concessions, including on issues such as U.S. military aid to Ukraine and the number of (American) troops in Europe.

In response to a question today about whether he trusts Russian President Putin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense also said that it is not necessary to trust Vladimir Putin to negotiate with him to end the war in Ukraine.

“You don’t have to trust someone to negotiate with them,” he said.