The return of Ukraine’s pre -2014 borders is “an unrealist objective” and a “confused goal” at peace disposal between Ukraine and Russia that President Trump wants to complete, US Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that a meeting In a meeting in a meeting in a meeting, in a meeting, the countries supporting Ukraine.
In his first meeting, which included NATO and Ukrainian Defense Minister, Mr. Hegseth told him that Mr. Trump has intended to “end this war and bring both Russia and Ukraine to the table.” But for Ukraine to try to regain all areas to seize Russia since 2014, because it insists that, “only will it make the war prolong and will cause more pain,” He said.
“We will only end this disastrous war and establish a sustainable peace by coupling the strength of the friendly countries with the realistic assessment of the battlefield,” he said.
Hours later, Mr. Trump wrote on social media that he had Russian President Vladimir V. There was a long phone with Putin, and they agreed to “start interaction immediately” to end the war.
At the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Mr. Hegseth said that Mr. Trump hoped that Europe would bear more financial and military responsibility to protect Ukraine. He is scheduled to attend the meeting of NATO’s defense ministers on Thursday.
Europe, he said, should take more responsibility for its traditional defense and spend more money on its armed forces, up to 5 percent of national production, as the United States relates to its own security risks and China’s challenge.
Mr. Trump, he said, does not support Ukraine’s membership as part of a realistic peace plan in NATO.
After an agreement, “A durable peace for Ukraine should include a strong security guarantee to ensure that the war will not resume,” but it will be responsible, he said, European and Non-European soldiers ” Five commitment to the unsecured collective defense from the NATO article of “non-European soldiers” in the Nato Mission.
He said that no American soldiers would be deployed in Ukraine, and Europe should provide “Ukraine’s fatal and non -help share”.
European and coalition leaders are eagerly waiting to hear what the goals of Mr. Trump for disposal of Ukraine can be. The comments of Mr. Hegseth, at the inauguration of a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Relations Group – will not come as a great surprise – all 32 NATO members – including all 32 NATO members states.
But they mark a major change from the policy of former President Biden to decide whether it was dependent on Ukraine to give concessions in exchange for peace – and so far, Ukraine has sovereignty within its internationally recognized boundaries Has not publicly given any concession on its claim.
Recently, Ukrainian officials have stated that safety guarantee conversations to prevent further Russian profit would be their top priority, perhaps even before fixing all their lost area. Military, as a strategy as possible to incite several casualties, hoping that it would put pressure on Sri Putin to interact.
Mr. Trump said this week that he would exchange assistance used in high-tech manufacturing Ukraine for a few $ 500 billion of Ukraine for Ukraine. He has sent the first high-level journey of Scott Besant, new Treasury Secretary, Administration for Kiev, because, Mr. Trump wrote on social media, “This war will end soon.”
NATO has promised that Ukraine would one day become a member of NATO, but without specifying a date. Mr. Hegseth’s comments keep that date very far in the future, if it comes at all.
His comment will create political difficulties for Ukraine’s President Volodimier Zelanski and is likely to please Mr. Putin, who seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and began an all-out attack in 2022. Russia now occupies about 20 percent of Ukraine.
Mr. Putin has demanded that Russia maintain its occupied areas and control additional land, claims that Ukraine is not included in NATO, that Ukraine’s military capacity is limited and NATO should stop. He has said that he is ready to attend an agreement with Ukraine, but only on his terms.
To help Shri Putin bring to the conversation table, Mr. Hegseth urged the low energy prices, “together with more effective enforcement of energy restrictions.”
“The real conversation has begun,” said former NATO Assistant General Secretary Cemily Grand. After a quiet indication from Trump officials, Mr. Hegseth “now asked American and made the conditions clear,” said Mr. Grand. “Now Europeans need to answer.”
“Either European says,” Oh my God, we cannot do this without Americans, and add Trump’s perception that they are useless and safety-free-riders, “he said,” or more likely, “or more likely,” ‘We’ are ready to look at this and raise soldiers and resources, but these are our conditions to do this.
Then there can be a serious conversation about the solidity of any ceasefire, about a peace force, command and control, air cover, and the worst situation, if Russia tests peaceful soldiers, Mr. Grand said. .
Mr. Hegseth did not question the US commitment for NATO, as President Trump has sometimes done in the past.
The United States is committed to “NATO alliance and defense partnership with Europe, full breaks, but the United States will no longer tolerate an unbalanced relationship that encourages dependence,” said Mr. Hegseth.
So Europe must take steps to take responsibility for its own traditional defense, while saying that the American atomic umbrella that helps in protecting NATO and Europe lives in place.
He urged the Europeans to maintain their commitment at military expenses and increase them. “We challenge your countries and your citizens to not only double themselves for the immediate security needs of Ukraine, but also for the long -term defense and preventive goals of Europe,” he said.
“We hear you,” John Hele said, in response to the remarks of Britain’s Defense Secretary, Mr. Hegseth, the media was closed before the meeting.
Speaking at a news conference after the meeting, Mr. Hele pointed to shared goals with the United States, including a durable peace in Ukraine with security guarantee, and European for Ukraine and for his own defend Military expenses and responsibility have increased.
Asked if Mr. Trump has now broken Western unity on Ukraine, Mr. Hele did not respond, but repeated these shared goals, emphasizing American commitment to NATO and joining NATO one day Refused to exclude Ukraine.
“This is a process in which it will take some time,” he said. But for now, he said, “The duty of the nations around that table is to ensure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position in any negotiation in the future.”
To take responsibility for the wholesale of assistance to Ukraine for Europe, he said that Europe is already providing more assistance than the United States. “We are increasing support for Ukraine,” said Mr. Hele. “We will do more. We will do this with Americans. ,
Andrew E. Kremer Contribution reporting.
