The US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said that they do not believe NATO membership for Ukraine is realistic.
This comes as Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have insisted Ukraine cannot join the alliance of there will be no peace.
The US Secretary of Defence said that European leaders along with non-European troops should provide security guarantees for Ukraine as America will not.
Hegseth told delegates at a meeting in Brussels, “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.
“Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops.
“If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and they should not be covered under Article 5. There also must be robust international oversight of the line of contact”
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The Pentagon chief said to enable diplomacy and drive down energy prices which is funding Putin’s war, President Trump will unleash US energy production.
Hegseth said, “Lower energy prices coupled with more effective enforcement of energy sanctions will help bring Russia to the table.”
With regards to safeguarding European security this “must be an imperative for European members of NATO.”
As part of this, Europe must provide the overwhelming share of future lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine,” he added.
He said that spending a mere 2% of GDP on defence is not good enough, this will cause Sie Keir Starmer to squirm as he is so far hesitant to raise spending even though the British Defence Secretary John Healey is pushing for this.
He said, “President Trump has called for 5% and I agree. Increasing your commitment to your own security is a down payment for the future, a down payment, as you said, Mr. Secretary, of peace through strength.
“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.”
