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Hegseth calls Ukraine’s peace goals ‘unrealistic’ in meeting with allies

The U.S. defense secretary said any deal to end the fighting must come with international oversight of the boundary between Russian and Ukrainian forces — and no NATO membership for Kyiv.

Pete Hegseth speaks at a meeting of the Ukraine defence contact group at Nato’s HQ in Brussels. Photograph: Omar Havana/AP

Pete Hegseth speaks at a meeting of the Ukraine defence contact group at Nato’s HQ in Brussels. Photograph: Omar Havana/AP

BRUSSELS — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday called Ukraine’s desire to recover all of the territory it has lost to Russia since 2014 an “unrealistic objective,” pledging that the Trump administration will pursue peace negotiations to end war between the two nations while pointedly shaping them at their outset.

“Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more pain and suffering,” Hegseth said. Any peace deal, Hegseth added, must come with “robust security guarantees,” international oversight of the boundary between Russian and Ukrainian forces, and no NATO membership for Ukraine — something that would require other countries to defend Ukrainian territory in any future conflict.

Hegseth, who is on his first trip abroad as defense secretary, made the comments at NATO headquarters in a meeting of allies backing the Ukrainian government with weapons, medical equipment and array of other support. The United States, Hegseth said, must focus first on its rising competition with China, meaning that European nations must take the leading role in guaranteeing security in Europe.

As the United States prioritizes its attention to these threats, European allies must lead from the front,” Hegseth said. “Together, we can establish a division of labor that maximizes our comparative advantages in Europe and the Pacific, respectively.”

Hegseth’s comments followed years of growing skepticism in the Republican Party about U.S. support for Ukraine. President Donald Trump in recent days has said the United States needs to be compensated for the extensive military support it has provided the government in Kyiv, suggesting that he wants $500 billion in minerals from Ukrainian soil.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

Author: Dan Lamothe and Ellen Francis

Source: The Washington Post

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