The U.S. defense secretary said any deal to end the fighting must come with international oversight of the boundary between Russian and Ukrainian forces — and no NATO membership for Kyiv.
BRUSSELS — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday called Ukraine’s desire to recover all of the territory it has lost to Russia since 2014 an “unrealistic objective,” pledging that the Trump administration will pursue peace negotiations to end the two nations’ war while pointedly shaping them at the outset.
“Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more pain and suffering,” Hegseth said. Any peace deal, Hegseth added, must come with “robust security guarantees,” international oversight of the boundary between Russian and Ukrainian forces, and no NATO membership for Ukraine — something that would require other countries to defend Ukrainian territory in any future conflict.
