Pete Hegseth Tells NATO That Ukraine Membership and Return to ‘Pre-2014’ Borders is ‘Unrealistic’

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered the blunt message that the possibility of Ukraine’s alliance membership and a return to “pre-2014 borders” were considered “unrealistic” by the Trump administration.

Speaking at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels on Wednesday, during his first visit to NATO headquarters, Hegseth signaled the pivot in foreign policy under President Donald Trump that left NATO allies to recalibrate their expectations, indicating the US would “shift from being primarily focused on the security of Europe” to border security and “deterring war with China in the Pacific.”

Underlining the administration’s commitment to peace between Ukraine and Russia as a “top priority”, the secretary of defense laid out its opposition to the country’s NATO membership, considered by analysts a major point of leverage for negotiations.

Hegseth said: “President Trump has been clear with the American people – and with many of your leaders – that stopping the fighting and reaching an enduring peace is a top priority… We want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.”

He continued: “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,” he said, advocating instead for “security guarantees backed by capable European and non-European troops.”

Crucially, he added: “there will not be US troops deployed to Ukraine.”

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