US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that any lasting peace agreement for Ukraine must include reliable security guarantees rather than becoming another Minsk-style agreement, speaking at a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.
"A sustainable peace for Ukraine must include reliable security guarantees to ensure the war doesn't restart again. This cannot be Minsk 3.0," Hegseth stated. However, he indicated that US officials do not view NATO membership for Ukraine as a realistic outcome of any negotiated settlement.
Instead, Hegseth suggested that capable European and non-European military forces should back security guarantees. He emphasized that ending hostilities and achieving lasting peace is a top priority for the Trump administration, which aims to bring both Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.
The Pentagon chief also took what he calls a "realistic" stance on territorial issues, stating that "returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic goal" and pursuing such an "illusory objective" would only prolong the war and cause more suffering.
This comes days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated his readiness for serious peace negotiations directly with Putin, provided allies offer concrete security guarantees. While Zelenskyy has expressed openness to allied military presence in Ukraine, he maintains that NATO integration would be the most cost-effective security solution.
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