A return to the borders of Ukraine before 2014 is “an unrealistic objective” and an “illusory objective” in the peace regulation between Ukraine and Russia that President Trump wishes to reach, Pete Hegseth, the American secretary to Defense said on Wednesday at a meeting of the country meeting supporting Ukraine.
During his first meeting which included NATO and the Ukrainian Defense Ministers, Hegseth told them that Mr. Trump “intended to end this war by diplomacy and bringing Russia and Ukraine at the table “. But for Ukraine to try to find the whole territory that Russia has seized since 2014, because he insists that he must do, “will only prolong the war and cause more suffering”, He declared.
“We are going to put an end to this devastating war and establish lasting peace by coupling the force combined with a realistic evaluation of the battlefield,” he said.
A few hours later, Mr. Trump wrote on social networks that he had a long phone call with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and they had agreed to “start the negotiations immediately” to end war .
Mr. Hegseth, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, said Trump expected Europe to assume more financial and military responsibility for the defense of Ukraine. On Thursday, he was to participate in a meeting of the NATO defense ministers.
Europe, he said, must assume more responsibility for its conventional defense and spend more money on its armed forces, up to 5% of national production, because the United States dealt with its own safety risks and the challenge of China.
Mr. Trump, he added, does not support members of Ukraine at NATO as part of a realistic peace plan.
After a regulation, “a lasting peace for Ukraine must include solid security guarantees to ensure that war will not start again”, but that would be the responsibility, he said, European and non-European troops In a “non-nato mission” not protected by the commitment of article five of NATO to collective defense.
No American troop will be deployed in Ukraine, he said, and Europe should provide “the overwhelming share of future deadly and non-lethal help to Ukraine”.
European and alliance leaders are impatiently awaiting Mr. Trump’s objectives for a Ukrainian settlement. The comments of Mr. Hegseth, when opening a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group – more than 50 nations, including the 32 NATO member states – will not be a big surprise.
But they mark a major change in relation to the policy of former Biden president that he belonged to Ukraine to decide to make concessions in exchange for peace – and so far, Ukraine has not made No publicly concession on his claim to sovereignty in its internationally recognized borders.
Recently, Ukrainian officials have declared that security guarantees to prevent new Russian gains would be their absolute priority in the negotiation, perhaps even before recovering their entire lost territory. Militarily, the strategy was to inflict as many victims as possible, in the hope of putting pressure on Mr. Putin to negotiate.
Trump said this week that he would exchange continuous help for Ukraine for some $ 500 billion in Ukrainian minerals in rare land used in high -tech manufacturing. He sent Scott Bessent, the new secretary of the Treasury, to take the first high -level visit of the administration to kyiv, because Mr. Trump wrote on social networks: “This war must and will soon end.”
NATO has promised that Ukraine will one day become a member of NATO, but without specifying date. Mr. Hegseth’s comments seem to put this date very far in the unpredictable future, if it arrives at all.
His remarks will create political difficulties for President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and will be likely to please Mr. Putin, who seized Crimea in Ukraine in 2014, and launched a total invasion in 2022. Russia now occupies about 20 % Ukraine.
Mr. Putin demanded that Russia keeps its occupied territories and takes control of the additional land which it claims, that Ukraine does not join NATO, that Ukraine’s military capacity is limited and that enlargement NATO stops. He said he was ready to join negotiations on a regulation with Ukraine, but only under his conditions.
To help bring Mr. Putin to the negotiating table, Mr. Hegseth urged the drop in energy prices, “coupled with the more efficient application of energy sanctions”.
“The real conversation has started,” said Camille Grand, former assistant secretary of NATO. After silent clues to Trump officials, Hegseth “has now presented the American request and the terms are clear,” Grand said. “Now Europeans must answer.”
“Either Europeans say:” Oh my God, we cannot do this without you Americans “, and add to Trump’s perception that they are useless and that free security,” he said, “Or more probably,” us “is ready to examine this and mobilize troops and resources, but these are our conditions to do so.” “
Then there may be a serious conversation on the solidity of any ceasefire, on a peacekeeping force, command and control, air coverage and the worst scenarios, if Russia tests the soldiers of Peace, said Mr. Grand.
Mr. Hegseth did not question the American commitment to NATO, as President Trump has sometimes done in the past.
The United States “remains attached to the NATO alliance and the defense partnership with Europe, at full judgment, but the United States will no longer tolerate an unbalanced relationship that encourages dependence,” said Mr. Hegseth.
Europe must therefore intensify the responsibility for its own conventional defense, he said, while implying that the American nuclear umbrella which helps to protect NATO and Europe would remain in place.
He urged Europeans to keep their commitments to military spending and increase them. “We test your countries and your citizens to double and to moderate you not only to the immediate security needs of Ukraine, but also to the long-term defense and deterrent objectives”, A-T -It declared.
“We hear you,” said John Healey, British Defense secretary, in response to Mr. Hegseth’s remarks before the media closes.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Healey underlined objectives shared with the United States, including lasting peace in Ukraine with security guarantees, and an increase in military spending and responsibilities European women both for Ukraine and for its own defense.
When asked if Mr. Trump had now shattered Western unity on Ukraine, Healey did not meet but repeated these common goals, emphasizing American commitment to NATO And refusing to exclude Ukraine to join NATO one day.
“This is a process that will take time,” he said. But for the moment, he said: “The duty of nations around this table is to ensure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position in all talks in the future.”
As for Europe assume responsibility for the majority of Ukraine aid, it noted that Europe already provides more aid in total than the United States. “We intensify the support of Ukraine,” said Healey. “We will do more. We will do it alongside the Americans. »»
Andrew E. Kramer Contributed reports.
