GuShiio.com ① U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hagerses issued the clearest and most blunt public statement yet on Wednesday on the new U.S. administration’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war;
② He said that it is unrealistic to restore Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders, and the Trump administration does not believe that Ukraine’s accession to NATO is part of the Russia-Ukraine war solution.
Cailian News, February 13 (Editor Bian Chun)Defense Secretary Pete ses said on Wednesday thatRestoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders (Russia controlled Crimea) is unrealistic, and the Trump administration does not believe that Ukraine’s membership in NATO is part of a Russia-Ukraine war solution。
Hagerses spoke at a meeting of Ukraine military allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday.The clearest and most blunt public statement to date was issued on the new US administration’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war.。
“Like you, we want Ukraine to have sovereignty and prosperity. But we must first realize that restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic goal,”Hagerses said at the meeting, which was attended by Ukraine officials and more than 40 allies.
“Pursuing this illusory goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,” he added.
Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, mainly in eastern and southern Ukraine.
ese also said thatThe United States does not believe that the realistic result of a diplomatic settlement of the conflict with Russia will be Ukraine’s accession to NATO。
Will not deploy US troops to Ukraine
Hagerses said any lasting peace must include “strong security guarantees to ensure that war does not break out again.”
But he saidU.S. troops will not deploy to Ukraine as part of this guarantee。Instead, security guarantees should be backed by “capable European and non-European forces.”
Hagerses also told U.S. NATO allies that they must step up and take greater responsibility for Europe’s security. He said “severe strategic realities” such as U.S. border security prevented the United States from “focusing primarily on European security.”
His remarks on Ukraine are in stark contrast to the positions of the Biden administration and many of Ukraine’s closest allies, who have declared that they will support Ukraine as long as necessary and emphasized the importance of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Hagerses ‘comments suggested that Ukraine would have to abandon key war goals: regaining territory from Russia and protecting itself from future attacks by joining the U.S. -led NATO military alliance.
Although Trump administration officials have said for some time that they will not support these goals in Ukraine, Hagerses ‘remarks on camera made this position clear to the global public.
Currently, the Trump administration is seeking to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. Hagerses’s remarks came as U.S. President Trump said on Wednesday that he had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin that day and the leaders of the two countries agreed to start negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine.
