State Department Correspondent
Reuters
A fractured windscreen necessitated US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s swift U-turn as his flight headed to the Munich Security Conference, forcing a return just one hour into the journey.
The United States’ chief diplomat, alongside his senior officials and the accompanying press, touched down back at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington DC on Thursday night.
Despite this mid-air incident, significant news was unfolding elsewhere. In Europe, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth shocked allies with a speech, suggesting concessions Ukraine would need to accept to finalize any peace agreement with Russia brokered by President Trump.
Hegseth remarked it was “unrealistic” to believe Ukraine could reclaim its territory seized by Russia, along with their aspiration for NATO membership, asserting that it fell upon European—not US—troops to maintain peace.
Critics, including some Republican figures in Washington, rebuked the address, alleging it compromised Ukraine’s negotiating power ahead of talks. They contended it was a capitulation to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“It’s certainly a novel strategy to enter negotiations by making substantial concessions beforehand,” commented former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, who co-chairs the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank.
EPA
The following day, Hegseth retracted some remarks, emphasizing that all options remained available for Trump to leverage in discussions with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“What he decides to permit or restrict is ultimately up to the leader of the free world, President Trump,” stated Hegseth. However, he insisted he was “merely highlighting realism” and dismissed claims of offering undue concessions to Moscow.
Regarding Rubio, the aircraft mishap delayed his entry into Munich, where his entourage was briefing on his priorities for the visit.
The United States aims to pursue a “just and lasting peace,” where European nations would spearhead the establishment of a “durable security framework,” according to officials.
Rubio’s remarks did not indicate any limitations for Ukraine, in contrast to the stance articulated by the defense secretary. Concurrently in Munich, Vice-President JD Vance stated that the US could utilize “military tools of leverage” to press Russia into an agreement, seemingly contradicting Hegseth’s assertion of no US troop deployments to Ukraine.
Later in the Oval Office, Trump was confronted with the repercussions of Hegseth’s comments, as well as a Republican senator’s critique labeling it a “rookie mistake,” akin to something a pro-Putin commentator would propose.
Was Trump privy to Hegseth’s statements? “Generally speaking, yes, generally speaking I was,” the president replied. “I’ll discuss it with Pete; I’ll clarify,” he added.
Reuters
These past three days have provided some of the first critical insights into Trump’s shifting stance on one of the most pivotal issues he confronts—the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia and his pledges to terminate the conflict—and shed light on how his administration is shaping and communicating its foreign policy.
Substantively, Hegseth’s remarks—paired with Trump’s extensive statement regarding a seemingly cordial call with Putin to initiate negotiations with Ukraine—sent tremors through European capitals, despite Hegseth’s efforts to temper his words.
“Any hasty solution is a dirty deal,” asserted European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas about the concern of a US-led agreement with Russia that could exclude Ukraine’s input.
Additionally, there’s the matter of how US foreign policy under Trump is being articulated. What unfolded in Munich appeared partly as an attempt by his senior officials to decode and convey Trump’s views, though this endeavor resulted in sometimes volatile and frequently contradictory statements—many of which were later somewhat mitigated or reversed.
It remains uncertain how much of this is due to a new yet poorly coordinated administration still establishing its internal directives, versus a conscious characteristic of a presidency less concerned about officials acting independently with their rhetoric, as long as they remain aligned with his final stance.
Trump’s previous term experienced a series of notable firings or resignations of key officials who contradicted or disagreed with him, encompassing three national security advisors, two defense secretaries, and a secretary of state.
Currently, his selections reflect a more frequent emphasis on loyalty. Pete Hegseth, who lacked prior experience in military or governmental leadership, was a weekend presenter on Fox News and previously a National Guard major, aligning closely with Trump’s perspectives and agenda.
His appointment faced substantial opposition and narrowly passed its confirmation process, with three Republican senators opposing him, resulting in a 50-50 tie, broken by JD Vance’s vote.
EPA
As Trump remarked this week, he was “okay” with the notion of excluding Ukraine’s NATO membership from negotiations, describing it as “not practical.”
Hegseth’s views largely aligned with the president’s stance; rather, they amplified it to an audience eager to reinforce Ukraine’s negotiating influence, not undermine it.
The challenge for those involved is deciphering the precise stance of US foreign policy, characterized by uncertainty. This may indeed be intentional—Donald Trump employing the “madman” theory of foreign relations, often attributed to former Republican President Richard Nixon.
This approach suggests that being powerful yet unpredictable serves to keep allies close while deterring adversaries. It could also explain his officials acting independently, though still within the scope of Trump’s broadly understood positions.
However, this strategy carries substantial risks of missteps or miscalculations in an already tumultuous and unpredictable global landscape.
Trump’s recent proposals regarding Gaza—evacuating its Palestinian populace to create the “Riviera of the Middle East” under US control—were similarly rife with confusion and contradictions.
While his officials attempted to clarify some of his suggestions—like designating it as only “temporary relocation”—Trump further asserted it would actually be “permanent” without any right of return.
As for Rubio—who wishes for the State Department to hold significant sway in Trump’s decision-making—his colleagues’ remarks in Munich were already overshadowing his voice.
His replacement aircraft finally arrived in Europe—windscreen intact but without the accompanying press pool, all while the majority of the headlines were gravitating elsewhere.
