U.S. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Feb. 12 that it’s unrealistic to anticipate that Ukraine can restore its 2014 borders in any negotiations with Moscow on ending its conflict.
Russia invaded Ukraine's jap Donbas area and annexed Crimea in 2014 following the EuroMaidan Revolution that ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Throughout a speech on the Ramstein summit, Hegseth stated that the U.S. additionally needs to see Ukraine as "sovereign and affluent," however that "we should begin by recognizing that returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic goal."
"Chasing this illusionary purpose will solely delay the conflict and trigger extra struggling," he added.
Hegseth additionally stated the U.S. doesn’t imagine that Ukraine's accession to NATO is a "real looking final result" of negotiations. The Pentagon chief added that any safety ensures supplied to Ukraine should even be "backed by succesful European and non-European troops."
"To be clear, as a part of any safety assure, there won’t be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine," he stated.
Hegseth arrived on the NATO headquarters in Brussels earlier within the day to take part within the Ramstein-format assembly.
As Washington revises its international and safety coverage after President Donald Trump's return to workplace, the U.Okay. has taken over the U.S.'s position in chairing the Ukraine Protection Contact Group (UDCG).
Ukraine formally utilized to affix NATO in September 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion. Whereas NATO members pledged on the 2024 Washington Summit that Ukraine's path to membership is "irreversible," they’ve but to increase a proper invitation.
Russian officers, in addition to Western intellectuals with a monitor file of anti-Ukraine narratives have repeatedly cited Ukraine's potential NATO membership as a justification for the invasion.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged opposition from a number of NATO members, together with the U.S., Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia, however expressed hope that Trump might sway help for Kyiv's entry.
The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek
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