Pentagon chief Hegseth: NATO membership and return to 2014 borders are unrealistic for Ukraine

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Photo: EPA/UPG

U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said that Ukraine's membership in NATO and a return to the 2014 borders are unrealistic scenarios for a peaceful resolution of the war. He is convinced that this will cause even more suffering and bloodshed.

He said this at the opening of a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defence in the «Ramstein» format in Brussels.

«Pursuing this illusory goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,» he said.

According to the Pentagon chief, instead of the prospect of joining the Alliance, Ukraine should receive reliable security guarantees that will prevent the war from resuming. He stressed that the US will not send its troops to Ukraine, and Europe must take greater responsibility for the continent's security.

«If these troops are deployed at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and should not be subject to Article 5. There must also be credible international supervision of the contact line», said Pete Hegseth.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that some Ukrainian and international leaders were dishonest when making statements about Ukraine's accession to NATO.