Pete Hegseth says Ukraine won’t get NATO membership and tears into Europe for not pulling its weight

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a frank message to Europe on Wednesday, outlining the position of the United States regarding the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

He voiced President Donald Trump’s positions on whether NATO should accept Ukraine as a member, the annexed portions of the country by Russia, and Europe’s role in Ukraine’s defense. 

‘Honesty will be our policy going forward,’ Hegseth stated during his speech to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

He repeated that Trump was committed to ending the war and bringing about a negotiated peace between Russia and Ukraine.  

‘The bloodshed must stop and this war must end,’ Hegseth said. 

He said it would not be realistic to pretend that Ukraine could regain control of the territories such as Crimea and other locations that Russia had seized since 2014.  

‘We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine, but we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective,’ Hegseth said. ‘Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.’ 

He also ruled out the idea of NATO accepting Ukraine as a member, as President Trump works toward a diplomatic solution to the war. 

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the start of the Ukraine Defense Contact group meeting at NATO headquarters i

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth meets with British Defence Secretary John Healey, on the eve of a NATO defence ministers’ meeting at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium

‘The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,’ Hegseth said.

Hegseth also argued that European countries needed to do more to keep the peace in Ukraine, and that it should not be a part of an official NATO action.

‘Any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops,’ he said, adding that ‘to be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be US troops deployed to Ukraine.’

Hegseth also warned Europe the United States would have to do more to defend itself in the future, citing ‘stark strategic realities’ of their priority to compete with China.

The Secretary of Defense kicked off his trip to Europe by training with members of the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne).  

Pete Hegseth runs with members of the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

Pete Hegseth lifts weights with members of the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

Pete Hegseth with members of the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

‘Strength equals readiness,’ he wrote on social media. ‘Kicked off the day with PT alongside the warriors of 1/10 SFG. No bureaucracy just sharp minds, strong bodies, and a mission-first mindset.’ 

Hegseth joked afterward with the media that the training exercise put him in his place, even thought he was only a couple years removed from the military. 

‘It’s a reminder that the press in Washington might think I’m young, but in military terms, I’m old, and that showed this morning with these young guys who ran circles around me,’ he added.