The US Secretary of Defense made a number of harsh statements about the war in Ukraine at a meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a series of harsh statements regarding the war in Ukraine during a meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine in Brussels. He emphasized that we should not expect Ukraine to return to the borders of 2014, as this is an unrealistic goal. Establishing lasting peace, he said, is possible only if a sober assessment of the situation on the battlefield is made. About this informs Air Force.

The meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine held at the NATO headquarters was the first such meeting with the participation of the new head of the Pentagon. For the first time in the history of this format, the leadership of the meeting was carried out by Great Britain, and not by the United States.

In his speech, Hegset emphasized that the US does not consider Ukraine’s membership in NATO as part of a possible future peace settlement. He also ruled out the possibility of deploying American troops in Ukraine as part of any security arrangements. The Minister of Defense reminded that ending hostilities and establishing stable peace is one of the key priorities of US President Donald Trump’s administration.

Hegseth also drew attention to the White House’s diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, noting that contacts between the American and Russian sides continue. Although the details of the talks remain unknown, Trump claims that some progress has been made in this direction. The head of the Pentagon emphasized that the US intends to end the war “diplomatically, involving Russia and Ukraine in negotiations.”

About borders

Pete Hegseth stressed that “ceasing hostilities and achieving a lasting peace is a priority” of the Donald Trump administration. The US intends to end the war by “combining allied strength with a realistic assessment of the battlefield”. And this means admitting that the return of all Ukrainian lands is unrealistic.

“Like you, we want a sovereign and successful Ukraine. But first, we must admit that returning to the Ukrainian borders that existed before 2014 is an unrealistic goal. The pursuit of this illusory goal will only prolong the war and cause even more suffering.” – said Hegset.

Addressing representatives of more than 40 allied countries of Ukraine, Hegset emphasized the need to combine military support of allies with a realistic assessment of the situation. In his opinion, an attempt to return to the pre-war borders will only prolong the conflict and bring new suffering.

In addition, Pete Hegseth stated that the return of Ukraine to the borders of 1991 is, in his opinion, an “unrealistic” goal. He characterized such aspirations as “illusory”, noting that they would only prolong the war and lead to more suffering.

About Ukraine’s membership in NATO and security guarantees

Speaking about the prospects of Ukraine joining NATO, Hegset confirmed that the US does not consider Kyiv’s membership as a realistic option even after the end of the war.

This statement provoked a corresponding reaction from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, who emphasized that in the event of closing NATO’s doors, Ukraine will be forced to independently strengthen its defense capabilities.

Regarding security issues, Hegseth clearly stated that the US will not participate in any peacekeeping missions on the territory of Ukraine. If such forces are deployed, they will not operate under the auspices of NATO and will not be bound by the Alliance’s fifth article on collective defense. At the same time, he emphasized that future security arrangements should exclude the risk of renewed hostilities.

The US Secretary of Defense emphasized the need for reliable security guarantees for Ukraine in order to establish a “durable peace”.

“To ensure lasting peace, Ukraine needs strong security guarantees that will prevent war from starting again. This cannot become another Minsk 3.0. However, the United States does not consider Ukraine’s membership in NATO to be a realistic outcome of a diplomatic settlement.” Hegset said.

He noted that security guarantees should be based on the support of the troops of both European and non-European countries. At the same time, they should operate outside NATO and not be subject to Article 5 of the Alliance’s charter.

The minister also emphasized that the US does not plan to involve its own troops in such a contingent.

“Strong international control over the contact line is needed. To avoid any misunderstandings: US troops will not be stationed in Ukraine as part of any security guarantees,” Hegset emphasized.

At the same time, the minister outlined a change in US approaches to helping Ukraine. Washington intends to focus on domestic issues and competition with China, while the responsibility for supporting Ukraine will fall largely on European allies. He called on European countries to take on a greater share of military and humanitarian aid to Kyiv.

Hegseth also said that the Trump administration intends to strengthen the US energy sector, which, in his opinion, will help lower global energy prices. This, in turn, will reduce financial revenues to the Russian military budget. He called on European partners to follow this approach, stressing that an effective sanctions policy in the field of energy can force Russia to sit down at the negotiating table.