As the Trump administration shifts its focus to securing the US borders and deterring war with China, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated on Wednesday that the war between Russia and Ukraine “must end,” that Kyiv joining NATO is unrealistic, and that the US will no longer prioritize European and Ukrainian security.
Hegseth stated that European forces should be the principal ones to secure a post-war Ukraine in his statements given before the Ukraine Defense Contact Group conference; he went on to say that US soldiers will not be part in this task.
In his remarks, Hegseth stated that the US does not consider NATO membership as a realistic result of a negotiated settlement for Ukraine. It “must be backed by capable European and non-European troops.” He continued by saying that any security guarantees given to Ukraine must have this backing.
“Just so we’re clear, there won’t be any US troops deployed to Ukraine as part of any security guarantee,” he stated.
It is “an unrealistic objective,” according to Hegseth, for Ukraine to revert to its boundaries from before Russia’s invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2014.
The remarks will undoubtedly trouble Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who recently stated that Ukraine needs leadership from the United States in order to receive genuine security assurances from Europe.
There was no fresh US help to Ukraine announced by Hegseth either. According to him, “the United States of America is not primarily focused on the security of Europe” because to “bright strategic realities,” and that is why they are here today to tell it clearly.
The US’s allies were not particularly surprised by Hegseth’s remarks. The United States has been the major provider and coordinator of military aid to Ukraine since 2022, and NATO and the European Union were preparing for a substantial withdrawal from this role. Since this was a concern, NATO established its own security system to facilitate the coordination of military aid to the nation.
During the exchange, UK Defense Secretary John Healey addressed the issues raised on bolstering Ukrainian and European security.
Additionally, earlier on Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that he “agrees” with Trump about the need to equalize security support to Ukraine. However, further action is required to alter the course of the battle.
The remarks made by the US military secretary, however, were the most explicit expression to yet of the Trump administration’s intentions to attempt decoupling from Europe and to cast the crisis in Ukraine as only a European issue. It’s a radical change from the agenda of the Biden administration, which prioritized the transatlantic alliance and backing Ukraine in its foreign policy initiatives.
Additionally, Hegseth agreed with President Trump that defense expenditure among allies should be increased to 5% of GDP from the current 2%, stating that the latter is “not enough.”
The United States “remains dedicated to the NATO alliance and to the defense partnership with Europe,” Hegseth said toward the conclusion of his speech. End of sentence. However, America will not stand for a partnership that is unbalanced and promotes reliance any more.