US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaking to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group Wednesday, said that a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an "unrealistic objective" as part of the peace effort to end the Ukraine-Russia war.
"President Trump has been clear with the American people -- and with many of your leaders -- that stopping the fighting and reaching an enduring peace is a top priority," Hegseth said about Ukraine, noting that the war is approaching its third anniversary.
"He intends to end this war by diplomacy and bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the table. And the U.S. Department of Defense will help achieve this goal," Hegseth continued. "We want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering."
In early 2014, Russia first invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula before annexing the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin then launched a larger military conflict with Ukraine in 2022, which remains ongoing.
Hegseth emphasized that Ukraine's membership in NATO is not a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.
"A durable peace for Ukraine must include robust security guarantees to ensure that the war will not begin again," the US Defense Secretary said Wednesday. "The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops."
"If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and not covered under Article 5. There also must be robust international oversight of the line of contact," he continued. "To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine."
Hegseth also urged European nations to increase their defense spending to 5% of their GDP, as the US shifts its focus to the Indo-Pacific region and the China threat.
The Defense Secretary also said he is in Brussels to "directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being primarily focused on the security of Europe;" because the U.S. is focusing on "securing our own borders" and "deterring war with China in the Pacific."
"The United States faces consequential threats to our homeland. We must -- and we are -- focusing on securing our own borders," Hegseth said. "We also face a peer competitor in China with the capability and intent to threaten our homeland and core national interests in the Indo-Pacific."
"The U.S. is prioritizing deterring war with China in the Pacific, recognizing the reality of scarcity, and making the resourcing tradeoffs to ensure deterrence does not fail," he added. "As the United States shifts its attention to these threats, European allies must lead from the front."
Hegseth's speech was praised by American conservatives and supporter's of Trump's America first policies who oppose further American military entanglements in Europ and middle east.
However, Hegseth's remarks have sparked a significant response from European allies, with some expressing sympathy for US concerns and others pledging to increase their defense spending.
The US has been the largest contributor to NATO and Ukraine's defense, but Hegseth emphasized that European nations must take on more responsibility for their own security.
