US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, said it is “unrealistic” to expect Ukraine to return to its borders prior to 2014, when Russia took control of Crimea.
During a Ukraine defense contact group meeting in Brussels, Hegseth said it would be possible to establish a “lasting peace” with a “realistic battlefield assessment.”
The US Secretary of Defense also minimized suggestions for Ukraine’s adhesion to NATO and ruled out US troops to Ukraine in any future security agreements.
Since the annexation of Crimea by Russia in March 2014, which triggered an armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, Moscow currently controls about one fifth of the Ukrainian territory, especially in the East and South.
Hegseth stressed that any lasting peace should include “robust security guarantees to ensure that the war does not start over.”
However, he expressed skepticism about NATO’s adhesion to NATO as a result of a negotiated agreement, suggesting that safety guarantees should be supported by “qualified European and non -European troops.”
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The Secretary of Defense also warned NATO European members about the need to assume most of the future aid to Kiev, emphasizing that Washington “will no longer tolerate an unbalanced relationship” with his allies.
“Protecting European security should be a priority for NATO European members,” Hegseth said, noting that Europe should provide most of the lethal and not lethal aid to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his willingness to negotiate a peace agreement with Russia, but said he wants to do so from a “power position.”
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In a recent conversation, Zelensky mentioned the possibility of an exchange of territories with Russia, but did not specify which areas would be involved. He also pledged to offer profitable contracts to US companies in reconstructing Ukraine in an attempt to attract Trump’s support.
