The United States (US) has said Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) would not be a “realistic outcome” to broker peace between the country and Russia......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
The U.S. Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, who disclosed this on Wednesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels, said restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders was “an unrealistic objective” as the U.S. is keen to end the conflict.
“President Trump has made it clear to both the American people and allied leaders that stopping the fighting and securing an enduring peace is a top priority,” Hegseth told the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
“He intends to bring both Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table, and the U.S. Department of Defence will support that goal,” he added.
Hegseth said that while the U.S. wants a “sovereign and prosperous Ukraine,” pursuing complete territorial restoration would “only prolong the war and cause more suffering.”
The defence secretary stated that Ukraine would require robust security guarantees” to ensure long-term stability but clarified that these would not involve NATO membership.
“The United States does not believe NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,” Hegseth said.
According to him, any security arrangement in Ukraine should involve “capable European and non-European troops” operating outside NATO’s framework.
“If peacekeepers are deployed to Ukraine, it must be as part of a non-NATO mission, without the protections of Article 5. There will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine,” the defence secretary added.
Hegseth did not announce any new U.S. aid to Ukraine, indicating the administration’s shift in priorities.
“We’re also here today to directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe,” he stated.
His remarks did not come as a surprise to U.S. allies, as NATO and the European Union had already been preparing for a reduced American role in leading and coordinating military aid to Ukraine.
The Joe Biden-led administration was the highest supporter of Ukraine since 2022 but Trump’s arrival meant a change was expected. In anticipation, NATO established its security mechanism to manage military assistance to Ukraine independently.
Hegseth, however, emphasised that the US “remains committed to the NATO alliance and the defence partnership with Europe. But the United States will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship that encourages dependency.”