The new US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, stated during the Ramstein meeting that the complete deoccupation of the territories of Ukraine is unlikely, and also noted that Ukraine's membership in NATO cannot be part of a negotiated settlement of the war. About this write Bloomger.
"Ukraine's access to the 2014 borders is unrealistic. The US also does not believe that Ukraine's membership in NATO is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement," – said the head of the Pentagon.
Washington also emphasizes that any security guarantees for Ukraine must be based on combat-ready military units from both European and non-European countries.
Regarding the possibility of deploying troops in Ukraine, the US Secretary of Defense emphasized that such a mission should not be part of NATO in order to avoid the application of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
"If military units are deployed in Ukraine, it should be a mission outside NATO, which would not fall under Article 5."
During his speech, Hegset emphasized that US President Donald Trump wants to end Russia's war against Ukraine through diplomacy. According to him, ending the war and achieving a stable peace is a top priority for Trump.
The Pentagon chief added that Trump wants to end the war by bringing Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table. At the same time, Hegseth called it unrealistic for Ukraine to return to its 2014 borders.
"We, like you, want to ensure sovereignty and prosperity for Ukraine. But we must begin by recognizing that returning Ukraine to its 2014 borders is an unrealistic goal. When we strive to achieve this goal without any clear definition, it will only prolong the war." — added the US Secretary of Defense.
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