NATO defense ministers gathering in Brussels have faced the crisis moment they've been bracing for. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told them America seeks to end its role as the guarantor of European security. The administration under President Donald Trump has been openly frustrated with NATO members, saying they're too dependent on the US. Member countries say they need to boost their own defense spending and support for Ukraine.
We need to do more, much more, and we need to do it faster. It is clear from our discussions today that allies recognize the need to invest much more.
Rutte says NATO's continued freedom and prosperity is on the line. He added, To ensure its deterrence and defense in the future, the Allies need to shift to a wartime mindset. While Hegseth promised the United States will remain committed to Ukraine, he says everyone needs to contribute their fair share.
This administration believes in alliances, deeply believes in alliances. But make no mistake, President Trump will not allow anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker.
Hegseth stressed Europe should be primarily responsible for defending the European continent. European foreign ministers issued a statement expressing concern the US and Russia are trying to take the reins on ending the war in Ukraine. They say Ukraine and Europe must be at the negotiating table. Now, part of the concern stems from Trump's phone talks with Russia's leader. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Trump calling Vladimir Putin before him was, quote, not very pleasant.
It's important everything does not go according to Putin's plan, in which he wants to do everything to make his negotiations bilateral. Between him and the United States of America, we, as a sovereign country, simply will not be able to accept any agreements without us.
After speaking with Putin over the phone on Wednesday, Trump said he thinks they'll arrange a ceasefire soon.
We talked about the possibility, I mentioned it, of a ceasefire so we can stop the killing, and I think we'll probably end up at some point getting a ceasefire in the not-too-distant future.
Opinion is divided in Ukraine.
The most important thing is that talks are taking place. There have been no talks for three years.
I think everything is working in Russia's favour. Trump just wants the war to end.
Ukraine's military says it currently holds about 500 square kilometres of territory it captured during an offensive in western Russia's Kursk region. That's less than half of the area it once controlled, indicating Russia has been intensifying its counter offensive.
Earlier I spoke with NHK World's Noda Junko in Moscow. She's been covering the situation in Russia as bureau chief in the country's capital.
Junko, Presidents Putin and Trump showed their willingness to hold a face-to-face meeting. And what does this mean for Russia and Putin?
It's safe to say the call was a diplomatic success for President Putin.
It was the first phone conversation with the US president in three years before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Putin had repeatedly stated Russia was ready and showed it was geared up for the first talks with Trump. In response to the invasion of Ukraine, a majority of the UN General Assembly voted in favour of a resolution condemning Russia.
Economic sanctions against the country, led by the US and Europe, were strengthened. The International Criminal Court also issued a warrant to arrest Putin on suspicion of war crimes and other charges that restricted his ability to travel abroad. It is expected that Putin will make an appeal to both domestic and international audiences, positioning himself as a great leader, while pushing for a ceasefire on favourable terms for Russia.
Now, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has expressed concern Ukraine could be left out of negotiations. You know, amid Trump's comments, he wants to end the war as soon as possible. So what stance do you think Russia will take when it comes to ceasefire negotiations?
Russia is expected to take a firm position, seeking to achieve a ceasefire solely on its own terms. When Putin and senior officials discuss a ceasefire, they often refer to the need for it to be based on reality.
The backdrop for this phrase is the fact that the Russian military is steadily expanding its area of influence in Ukraine, benefiting from its greater number of soldiers and weapons. But Russia has faced significant casualties.
The BBC reports that over 90,000 fatalities were confirmed in the military as of last month. It is expected the actual number may be much higher.
Russia's economy has shown some growth for the past two years, but high inflation persists, raising questions about whether such growth can be sustained. Nevertheless, there is no indication that will affect Russia's ability to continue its military efforts in the next few months.
So it is expected that Russia will be ready to accept a ceasefire only on its own conditions. If negotiations drag, Russian forces may continue to maintain pressure on Ukraine.
So Junko, what exactly are Russia's conditions?
President Putin outlined some conditions for starting peace negotiations last June. They include the complete withdrawal of Ukraine troops from four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine, which he unilaterally declared annexed three years ago. He also wants Ukraine to abandon its NATO membership ambitions. Putin has indicated that he would not accept Ukraine joining NATO at any time. Last December, he told reporters that whether it is today, tomorrow, or 10 years, it's the same. These conditions are seen as an attempt to subordinate Ukraine.
While it's possible that Russians are setting high standards in order to make some rooms for negotiations, it is far from acceptable for Ukraine.
On top of that, US Secretary of Defense Bid Hegsev said NATO membership for Ukraine is not a realistic outcome. Trump backed that up, saying it is not practical.
The focus will now shift to President Trump's proposal for a ceasefire.
Now, Trump says he wants to meet with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss reducing the number of nuclear weapons.
We're talking about denuking, denuclearized, denuking. And President Putin and I agreed that we were going to do it in a very big way.
There's no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons. We already have so many. You could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over.
The U.S. president noted he's had good relationships with both Putin and Xi. Trump said once things are settled in the Middle East and Ukraine, he hopes to first hold talks with China and then Russia about halting production and reducing the number of nuclear weapons. Trump added he would also propose that all three countries cut their military budgets in half.
The U.S. defense chief says his country has to prioritize deterring China, so it plans to strengthen cooperation with allies in the Indo-Pacific region, including Japan.
Working by, with, and through allies and partners in that region who understand the reality of the the ascendant Chinese threat will be critical. It can't be America alone. It won't be America alone if we are to deter that.
Hegseth says the Chinese Communist Party's ambitions are a threat to free people everywhere. But he stresses the United States does not see conflict with China.
Next, a French Navy frigate is making a port call at a U.S. military base in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa.
The warship is taking part in a joint exercise with Japan and the U.S. in the Pacific Ocean. The frigate and a French supply ship arrived at the White Beach Naval Facility in Uruma City on Thursday. The two vessels are part of a French aircraft carrier strike group participating in the Pacific Stellar exercise aimed at improving mutual operational capabilities. The drill includes refueling of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force ships at sea.
This is the first time since 1968 a French carrier strike group has been deployed to the Pacific. The French military is stepping up its involvement in the Indo-Pacific region amid China's increasingly assertive maritime activity.
The area is more and more contested, especially the the rule-based order, and that's what we see.
The frigate's captain said the aim of the exercise is to demonstrate the ability to react together to any crisis in the region.
U.S. President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have agreed to start negotiations on reducing the U.S. trade deficit with India. The leaders held talks at the White House on Thursday. They spoke at a news conference after the meeting.
Prime Minister Modi and I have agreed that we'll begin negotiations to address the long-running disparities.
Trump also said they had reached an agreement for the U.S. to become a leading supplier of oil and gas to India.
He said the deal would help make up the trade deficit. Trump said they had reaffirmed their cooperation with Japan and Australia as well, under the Quad Security Framework. He added the U.S. will increase the sales of weapons, including state-of-the-art F-35 stealth fighters, to India. The Trump administration apparently wants to turn India away from Russia for its weapons and energy needs.
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It's time now for a check on the weather with our meteorologist, Yumi Hirano.
People in Tokyo faced strong winds on Thursday but are now seeing much calmer and warmer conditions. So Yumi, what can we expect over the weekend?
This cold snap will also bring heavy snowfall again to Hokuriku from next Tuesday, so please check the latest weather update.
Moving to the United States, a Pacific storm is impacting the west coast. In the south, including LA, people are dealing with heavy downpours, but in the north,Heavy snow is an issue.
Local media reported a pileup involving dozens of vehicles occurred on a highway in Oregon on Thursday.
Authorities say the crash happened in whiteout conditions. Meanwhile, ample moisture from the Pacific brought heavy rain to California, causing flooding and mud slides. Officials have urged people in areas affected by wildfires last month to stay on alert as little rain could cause more flooding.
As the system moves inland, significant snowfall of over 250 centimeters is expected in the mountains of Sierra, Nevada. Even sunny skies return to LA. The risk of flooding is expected to persist for a while.
Meanwhile, Seattle will see another day of snow.
That's all for the weather. Stay safe.
♫～
That's all for now on this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Raja Pradhan in Tokyo, there's much more to come on NHK World Japan, so please stay with us.
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