Returning to the border before Ukraine 2014 is “an unrealistic goal” and a “misleading goal” in settlement of peace between Ukraine and Russia that President Trump wants to achieve, said US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth , on Wednesday at a NATO meeting in Brussels.
At his first meeting with NATO and Ukraine defense ministers, Mr Hegseth told them that Mr Trump “intends to end this war with diplomacy and bring both Russia and Ukraine to the table”.
But for Ukraine to try to recover all the territory that Russia has occupied since 2014, as it insists it has to do, “it will only extend war and cause more pain,” said Hegseth.
“We will only end this devastating war and create a durable peace, linking the Allied power with a realistic assessment of the battlefield,” he said.
Mr Hegseth also told the meeting that Mr Trump expects that Europe would bring more economic and military responsibility for the defense of Ukraine.
Europe, he said, has to take more responsibility for its conventional defense and spend more money on its armed forces, up to 5 % of national production, as the United States is involved in its own security risks and challenge. China.
Mr Trump, he added, does not support Ukraine’s accession to NATO as part of a realistic peace plan.
After a settlement, “a resistant peace for Ukraine must include strong security guarantees to ensure that war does not start again”, but that would be a responsibility, he said, from European and non-European troops in a “non-Nato Shipment “regardless of NATO article five commitment to collective defense.
No US military will settle in Ukraine, he said, and Europe will have to provide “the overwhelming share of the future deadly and non -fatal aid in Ukraine”.
Europe and alliance leaders are looking forward to hearing Mr Trump’s goals for a settlement of Ukraine. Mr Hegseth’s comments, at the start of a large grouping of Ukraine nations, will not be a big surprise. However, they mark a significant change from former President Biden’s policy that it was about Ukraine to decide whether to make concessions in return for peace – which so far meant the maintenance of Ukrainian domination at its internationally recognized borders and supporting borders. In its attempt to lead Russian forces from all pre -war Ukrainian territories.
NATO has promised that Ukraine will one day become a member of NATO, but without a date. Mr Hegseth’s comments seem to set this date very far in the unpredictable future if it arrives at all.
His observations will create political difficulties in President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine and are likely to thank President Vladimir V. Putin, who since 2014 and especially with his invasion three years ago, has occupied about 20 % of the country.
Mr Putin asked Russia to maintain its occupied territories that Ukraine is not involved in NATO, that its military capacity is limited and that NATO’s enlargement should be stopped. He has said that he is willing to participate in the negotiations for a settlement with Ukraine, but only in his terms.
To help Mr Putin at the negotiating table, Mr Hegseth urged lower energy prices, “in combination with the most effective imposition of energy penalties”.
The United States “remains committed to NATO’s alliance and defense cooperation with Europe, a complete attitude, but the United States will no longer tolerate a balanced relationship that encourages dependency,” Mr Hegseth said.
Thus, Europe must accelerate to take responsibility for its own conventional defense, she said, while implying that the US nuclear umbrella that helps to protect NATO and Europe will remain in force.
He called on Europeans to maintain their commitments for military spending and increase them. “We are causing your countries and your citizens to double and repeat yourself not only to Ukraine’s immediate security needs, but to Europe’s long -term goals of defense and deterrence,” he said.
Mr. Hegseth did not receive questions.
