United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, said on Wednesday that the war between Ukraine and Russia “must end”, but stressed that the country’s adhesion to NATO, the Western Military Alliance, is unrealistic.
In addition, he pointed out that the US will no longer prioritize European and Ukrainian security, as the Trump government will change its attention to protect its own borders and prevent war with China.
In comments made before a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Hegseth also stated that European armies should be the main force to protect Ukraine after the war – and that American troops will not be involved in this.
“The United States do not believe that Ukraine’s adhesion to NATO is a realistic result of a negotiated agreement,” said Hegseth. He added that any safety guarantees offered to Ukraine “must be supported by capable European and non -European troops.”
“To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will be no US troops sent to Ukraine,” he said.
Hegseth also considered that the return of Ukraine borders for what they were before 2014, before Russia invaded Crimea and the east of the country,
These lines will certainly be a concern for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said this week that significant security to Ukraine without American leadership.
The US Secretary of Defense also
“We are also here today to directly and unequivocally express that harsh strategic realities prevent the United States from America from focusing mainly on European security,” he said.
Allies prepare for retreat from the USA
In any case, the secretary’s speech is not necessarily a surprise to US allies.
The NATO and the European Union were preparing for the country to retreat significantly from the leadership role that had been playing since 2022 in the supply and coordination of military aid to Ukraine.
This is why NATO has created its own security mechanism to help coordinate military assistance to the country.
“We have heard your concerns about intensifying Ukraine and listened to your concerns about intensifying European security,” said UK Secretary of Defense John Healey in response to Hegseth.
And the secretary general of the Military Block, Mark Rutte, said earlier on Wednesday that he “agrees” with Trump “that we should match the safety assistance to Ukraine.”
“But to really change the trajectory of the conflict, we need to do even more,” he warned.
USA try to make war in “European problem”
Pete Hegseth’s comments are the lighter so far how the Trump government intends to try to detach itself from Europe and make Ukraine conflict a totally European problem.
This is a total removal of Joe Biden’s government approach, which made the transatlantic alliance and support for Ukraine a central point of its foreign policy.
Hegseth also reinforced the appeals of President Donald Trump so that the allies, instead of 2%, noting that the previous value “is not enough.”
The secretary emphasized that the US “remain committed to the NATO alliance and the defense partnership with Europe. Full stop. But the United States will no longer tolerate an unbalanced relationship that encourages dependence. ”
