Hegseth: Washington Wants Ukraine to Defend Itself — and Is Learning From It

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth made a notable double declaration Friday: the United States wants Ukraine to be able to defend itself against Russian threats and will find ways to sustain that support. In the same breath, he acknowledged that America is actively absorbing battlefield lessons from Ukraine's drone warfare experience — a quiet admission that the conflict is reshaping U.S. military doctrine in real time. The remarks land as Danish acting Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warns that Europe should brace for a fresh wave of Russian aggression, reinforcing a growing transatlantic consensus that the war's stakes extend far beyond Ukrainian borders.