Hegseth says Ukraine cannot expect return to old borders, NATO membership

Hegseth says Ukraine cannot expect return to old borders, NATO membership

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Hegseth says Ukraine cannot expect return to old borders, NATO membership

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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders was unrealistic and the Trump administration does not see NATO membership for Kyiv as part of a solution to the war triggered by Russia's invasion.

Speaking at a meeting of Ukraine's military allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Hegseth delivered the clearest and bluntest public statement so far on the new US administration's approach to the nearly three-year-old war.

"We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognising that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective," Hegseth told the meeting of Ukrainian officials and more than 40 allies.

"Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering," he added.

He also told Washington's NATO allies that they would have to step up and assume greater responsibility for Europe's security. He said "stark strategic realities", such US border security issues and threats posed by China, prevented the US from being "primarily focused on the security of Europe".

His remarks on Ukraine were a stark change from the stance of the Biden administration and many of Ukraine's closest allies, who had declared they would support Kyiv for as long as necessary and stressed the importance of territorial integrity.

His comments also suggested that Kyiv would have to abandon some of its key war aims - regaining territory from Russia and securing protection from future attacks through membership of the US-led NATO military alliance.
Kyiv argues there is trillions of dollars of untapped mineral wealth in Ukraine.

While Trump administration officials had signalled for some time that they would not support those goals, Hegseth's on-camera remarks made that stance clear to the global public.

Though Ukraine set its sights on ejecting all Russian troops from its territory for much of the war, it has increasingly acknowledged that retaking its land by force is unfeasible and that diplomacy is a more realistic course of action.