AMNA NAWAZ: Welcome to the "News Hour."

Today, European leaders pushed back against what they describe as concessions and shifts by the Trump administration on Ukraine.

GEOFF BENNETT: Yesterday, President Trump started cease-fire negotiations, while his defense secretary doubted Ukraine's future in NATO.

Today, Ukrainian and European officials demanded continued support for Ukraine and a seat at the negotiating table.

Nick Schifrin is in Munich for us tonight.

NICK SCHIFRIN: At NATO headquarters today, the traditional class photo was all smiles, but behind the show of unity tension over Ukraine from Britain.

JOHN HEALEY, Secretary of State for Defense, United Kingdom: There can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine and Ukraine's voice must be at the heart of any talks.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Lithuania.

DOVILE SAKALIENE, Lithuanian Defense Minister: Whether we decide to fall under the illusion that Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin are going to find a solution for all of us, and that would be a deadly trap.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Germany.

BORIS PISTORIUS, German Defense Minister (through translator): It is regrettable, and I say this myself, but as part of the truth, the Trump administration has already made public concessions to Putin before negotiations have even begun.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The U.S.' NATO allies demanded that NATO fulfill its 2024 promise that Ukraine's future membership is -- quote -- "irreversible" and Ukraine and Europe be part of any negotiation.

Kaja Kallas is the European Union's top diplomat.

KAJA KALLAS, European Commission: It is clear that any deal behind our backs will not work.

Any agreement will need also Ukraine and Europe being part of it, and this is clear, that appeasement also always, always fails.

NICK SCHIFRIN: That appeared to be criticism of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's statement yesterday.

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. Defense Secretary: The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Today, Hegseth tried to walk that back.

PETE HEGSETH: I want to be clear about something as it pertains to NATO membership not being realistic outcome for negotiations.

I'm not going to stand at this podium and declare what President Trump will do or won't do, what will be in or what will be out, what concessions will be made or what concessions are not made.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: I thought his comments were good yesterday, and they're probably good today.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In Washington, President Trump suggested Russia can veto Ukraine's entry into NATO.

DONALD TRUMP: I don't see any way that a country in Russia's position could allow them, just in their position, could allow them to join NATO.

I don't see that happening.

QUESTION: When Putin says that he really wants peace, do you believe him?

DONALD TRUMP: Yes, I do.

I believe he wants peace.

QUESTION: Do you trust President Putin?

DONALD TRUMP: I believe -- yes, I believe that he would like to see something happen.

I trust him on this subject.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In Ukraine, during a visit to a nuclear power plant, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the U.S.' shutting the door to NATO would be -- quote -- "difficult."

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, Ukrainian President (through translator): It's important that 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.

NICK SCHIFRIN: If Ukraine sounded worried, the Kremlin sounded encouraged.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov: DMITRY PESKOV, Spokesman for Vladimir Putin (through translator): The current administration, as far as we understand, holds the view that everything must be done to stop the war and for peace to prevail.

We are much more impressed by the position of the current administration and we are open to dialogue.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Back in Brussels: PETE HEGSETH: The U.S. is committed to building a stronger, more lethal NATO.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In his press conference and his first meetings with his NATO counterparts, Hegseth tried to reassure that the Trump administration had their backs.

But he also reiterated the U.S. would push NATO members to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defense.

PETE HEGSETH: Make no mistake, President Trump will not allow anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The Trump administration's push for Europe to do more now turns to the Munich Security Conference, where Vice President Vance leads the delegation.

Today, he and his wife, Usha, visited one site of Europe's darkest moment, the Dachau concentration camp, where the Nazis murdered tens of thousands of Jews.

It was liberated by U.S. soldiers 80 years ago this April.

J.D.

VANCE, Vice President of the United States: Being here and seeing it up close in person really drives home what unspeakable evil was committed and why we should be committed to ensuring that it never happens again.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Tomorrow will be a vital day for the Trump administration's relationship with Europe and Ukraine.

Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, speaks first, and then Vice President J.D.

Vance.

After that, Vance will meet Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in a meeting that Ukrainian officials are already saying today will describe or will actually find out the country's fate.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, Nick, what are officials telling you about how they're feeling ahead of what could be a pivotal day there?

NICK SCHIFRIN: Geoff, they describe themselves as both anxious and a little bit confused.

Senior European officials describe themselves as anxious to me because of what they heard from Pete Hegseth at NATO headquarters this week, even if he walked back some of his comments yesterday, and what they have heard from President Trump all week about NATO, Russia, and how he feels about Ukraine.

But they are also a little bit confused, because they tell me that they have had different messages from different people.

Senior European officials met with J.D.

Vance in Paris earlier this week and left that meeting very reassured about how Vance felt about NATO and Ukraine.

American officials, in fact, tell me that they're trying to explain to European officials that the Trump administration does not have a normal policymaking procedure and that they just have to be patient until the Trump administration and specifically President Trump comes out with a specific policy.

But the bottom line, though, is that the Europeans and Ukrainians are very anticipatory about tomorrow's comments by J.D.

Vance, not only what he will say in public about Ukraine and NATO, Geoff, but also what he will say in private in that meeting with Zelenskyy, whether the U.S. will treat Europe and Ukraine as partners as they try to end this war.

GEOFF BENNETT: Nick Schifrin in a snowy Munich for us tonight.

Nick, thank you.