US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated on Wednesday that the war between Ukraine and Russia “must end,” that Kyiv’s membership in NATO is unrealistic, and that the US will no longer prioritize European and Ukrainian security as the Trump administration focuses on securing its own borders and deterring war with China.
In remarks before a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Hegseth also stated that European troops should be the primary force securing a post-war Ukraine, noting that US troops would not be involved.
“The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,” Mr. Hegseth said. He also stated that any security guarantees extended to Ukraine “must be backed by capable European and non-European troops.”
“To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be US troops deployed to Ukraine,” said Mr. Trump.
Hegseth also stated that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders, prior to Russia’s invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine, “is an unrealistic objective.”
Many NATO allies would agree with Hegseth that regaining Crimea from Russia is unrealistic, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not insisted on it as a condition for peace talks. One NATO official said it would have been more concerning if Hegseth had stated that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2022 borders was impossible.
But the comments about security guarantees will undoubtedly concern Zelensky, who stated this week that Europe alone cannot provide meaningful security guarantees to Ukraine without American leadership. Zelensky has also insisted that joining NATO is the only way to prevent Russia from launching new attacks in the future.
Hours after Hegseth spoke, President Donald Trump announced that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday morning. Trump stated that the two agreed to collaborate “very closely” and begin negotiations “immediately” to end the conflict in Ukraine.
“[W]e will begin by calling President Zelensky, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation,” Mr. Trump said. The Kremlin announced Wednesday that Putin has invited Trump to visit Moscow, which would be the first visit by a US president since 2013.
Trump spoke with Zelensky shortly after hanging up the phone with Putin.
Later Wednesday afternoon, Trump agreed with Hegseth and stated that he does not “think it’s practical” for Ukraine to join NATO.
“I do not think it is practical to have it. Personally, I believe that our new Secretary of Defense is exceptional. Pete stated today that he believes it is unlikely or impractical. I believe that is most likely correct. I believe they stated long before President Putin that they would never allow that. This has been going on for many years. “They’ve been saying for a long time that Ukraine would not join NATO, and I’m fine with it,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
A European defense official told CNN that while many in NATO do not believe Ukraine can join the alliance given the political realities with Russia, they do not say so publicly — as Hegseth did — to avoid giving Russia the impression that it can dictate who can and cannot join.
Some former Biden administration officials quickly weighed in on X, claiming Hegseth had given up valuable leverage.
“They just surrendered one of the main points of leverage before negotiations even begin,” said Matthew Miller, a former State Department spokesperson.
No new US aid for Ukraine
Hegseth also did not announce any new US aid for Ukraine. “We’re also here today to directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe,” said Mr. Trump.
Hegseth’s comments did not necessarily surprise the US’ allies. NATO and the European Union had expected the United States to take a significant step back from the lead role it had played in providing and coordinating military aid to Ukraine since 2022. That’s why NATO established its own security mechanism to help coordinate military assistance to the country.
“We hear your concerns about stepping up for Ukraine, and we hear your concerns about stepping up for European security,” UK Defense Secretary John Healey replied. “We are and we will.”
The United Kingdom may quickly supplant the United States as Ukraine’s closest Western ally. It presided over the Ukraine Defense Contact Group’s first meeting on Wednesday, and Ukrainian defense minister Rustem Umerov issued a lengthy readout of his meeting with Healey at NATO on Wednesday, accompanied by a photo of the two shaking hands and smiling.
Umerov, on the other hand, described his meeting with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in a single sentence, accompanied by a photograph of them standing side by side without shaking hands.
And earlier on Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that he “agrees” with Trump that we must equalize security assistance to Ukraine. But to truly change the course of the conflict, we must do even more.”
And Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans told CNN, “I agree that as Europe, we should do much more in order to defend our continent and safeguard our own security.”
However, the US defense secretary’s remarks were the clearest expression yet of how the Trump administration intends to try to decouple from Europe and make the Ukraine conflict a fully European issue. It marks a significant departure from the Biden administration’s approach, which prioritized the transatlantic alliance and support for Ukraine in its foreign policy.
The alliance’s smaller, eastern flank countries — those closest to Russia — are particularly concerned about the US pulling back.
According to Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds, the US is “absolutely indispensable” in containing Russia’s aggression.
Reiterated Trump’s call for allies to up defense spending
Hegseth also echoed Trump’s call for allies to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP rather than 2%, claiming that the latter is “not enough.” A senior NATO official stated on Wednesday that the US’s request for European allies to invest more is not new, and that 2% is too low.
Toward the end of his remarks, Hegseth emphasized that the United States “remains committed to the NATO alliance and the defense partnership with Europe.” Full stop. However, the United States will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship that fosters dependency.
Following Hegseth’s speech, a European defense official stated that there is a general sense of relief that the United States does not intend to leave NATO entirely. The sentiment is that as long as the United States remains a member of the alliance, there will be some room for negotiation on the specifics of the country’s support for Europe and Ukraine.
For the time being, the US is not halting military aid to Ukraine, which is already being delivered as part of aid packages announced by the previous administration.
However, the NATO official told CNN that Ukraine still requires more armored vehicles, long-range weapons, and air defense systems, as it has in the past. On Wednesday, Hegseth gave no indication that the US will continue to draw from its military stockpiles to send weapons and equipment to Ukraine, a process known as Presidential Drawdown Authority.
The Department of Defense has not yet used the nearly $4 billion in congressionally authorized funds left over from the previous administration.
Hegseth also did not elaborate on what a potential negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia might look like. In an interview with Britain’s The Guardian published Tuesday, Zelensky proposed exchanging territory seized by Ukrainian forces inside Russia’s Kursk region for Ukrainian territory seized by Russia—but Moscow quickly rejected the idea.
“Russia has never discussed and will not discuss the topic of exchanging its territory,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.
According to CNN, there is a growing belief within the administration that Putin, rather than Zelensky, will be the primary impediment to both sides reaching an agreement. European officials have also said they have seen no evidence that Putin is willing to engage in meaningful negotiations.
CNN’s Anna Chernova, Catherine Nicholls, Samantha Waldernberg, and Alejandra Jaramillo all contributed reporting.
