Brussels: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and in sweeping remarks suggested that the way forward for Ukraine was for the country to abandon hopes of a return to its pre-2014 borders and prepare for a negotiated settlement with Russia — one that should be backed up with an international force of troops.
Hegseth made the comments Wednesday during the first trip to NATO and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group by a member of the new Trump administration. Allies have been waiting to hear how much continued military and financial support Washington intends to provide to Ukraine's government.
What they heard was that President Donald Trump is intent on getting Europe to assume the majority of the financial and military responsibilities for the defence of Ukraine — to include a possible peacekeeping force that would not include U.S. troops — and that Hegseth said should not have Article Five protections if those troops end up in contact with Russian forces.
"Members of this contact group must meet the moment," Hegseth said to the assembled group of approximately 50 member countries who have been providing support to Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion.
