Ukraine's return to pre-2014 borders and NATO membership are 'unrealistic,' Hegseth tells allies

Ukraine's desired return to its pre-2014 borders and membership in NATO are "unrealistic" goals that should be excluded from any future peace settlement, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth told allies on Wednesday as he stressed President Donald Trump's intent to end Russia's war "by diplomacy".

His remarks were made during a meeting in Brussels of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, consisting of 46 nations.

"We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognising that returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering," Hegseth told his counterparts.

"A durable peace for Ukraine must include robust security guarantees to ensure that the war will not begin again. This must not be Minsk 3.0," he added, referring to the ill-fated agreement that failed to end the Donbas war.

"That said, the United States does not believe that NATO's 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."

Hegseth added that American troops would not be part of any peacekeeping mission in Ukraine to guarantee the stability of the prospective peace deal and that such a mission would not be covered by NATO's Article 5 of collective defence.

This is a developing story.