Brussels
CNN
 —

On Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized the urgent need for the conflict between Ukraine and Russia to come to an end. He stated that Ukraine’s accession to NATO is implausible and highlighted a shift in U.S. focus towards protecting its own borders while mitigating tensions with China, rather than prioritizing European and Ukrainian security as done during the Trump administration.

Speaking at a gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Hegseth remarked that European forces should primarily handle security in a future Ukraine, asserting that U.S. troops will not be part of that effort.

Hegseth stated, “The United States does not view NATO membership for Ukraine as a feasible outcome from a negotiated settlement,” stressing that any security assurances provided to Ukraine “must be supported by capable European and non-European forces.”

He clarified that, as part of any security guarantees, “there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine.”

Hegseth further indicated that restoring Ukraine’s borders to their pre-2014 state, prior to Russia’s invasion of Crimea and its actions in eastern Ukraine, “is an unrealistic aim.”

Many NATO allies appear to concur with Hegseth’s assessment that reclaiming Crimea from Russia is impractical, and even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not made this a prerequisite for peace discussions. One NATO official expressed that it would be concerning if Hegseth had claimed that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2022 borders was unfeasible.

However, the statements regarding security guarantees may alarm Zelensky, who asserted that Europe alone cannot provide substantial security assurances to Ukraine without U.S. leadership. He continues to advocate for Ukraine’s NATO membership as the sole means to prevent future Russian assaults.

A European defense official remarked to CNN that while many NATO members share skepticism about Ukraine’s potential NATO membership due to Russia’s stance, they refrain from voicing these concerns publicly—as Hegseth did—to prevent giving Russia an impression that it can influence NATO’s admissions.

Former officials from the Biden administration quickly criticized Hegseth’s comments on social media, asserting that he has weakened crucial negotiating power.

“They have essentially given up one of their main leverage points before negotiations even start,” stated former State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

Additionally, Hegseth did not indicate any new U.S. support for Ukraine, noting, “We are here today to unequivocally state that stark strategic realities hinder the United States from predominantly focusing on Europe’s security.”

Hegseth’s remarks did not surprise U.S. allies. NATO and the European Union had anticipated a considerable reduction in U.S. involvement in military aid to Ukraine, which prompted NATO to establish its own security framework to better coordinate military support.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey responded, “We hear your concerns regarding increased support for Ukraine and the importance of European security.” He added, “We are taking action and will continue to do so.”

The UK appears to be rapidly becoming Ukraine’s closest Western ally. It led the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting for the first time on Wednesday, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov provided an extensive summary of his discussions with Healey, accompanied by a handshake photo.

Conversely, Umerov’s brief account of his meeting with Secretary Hegseth was succinct and included a photo of them standing together without a handshake.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte remarked earlier on Wednesday, “I concur with Trump that we need to ensure equitable security assistance to Ukraine; however, to genuinely alter the course of this conflict, more action is required.”

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans noted to CNN, “I agree that Europe must significantly enhance its efforts to safeguard our own continent and security.”

Hegseth’s statements marked a clear indication of the Trump administration’s strategy to distance itself from Europe and frame the conflict in Ukraine as primarily a European issue. This represents a significant shift from the Biden administration’s approach, which placed a strong emphasis on the transatlantic alliance and support for Ukraine.

Countries on NATO’s eastern flank—those nearest to Russia—are particularly anxious about the potential downsizing of U.S. involvement.

Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds told CNN that the U.S. is “absolutely vital” in efforts to “restrict and mitigate the aggressor nation, Russia.”

Hegseth also echoed Trump’s call for allies to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP instead of the current 2%, arguing that the latter is “inadequate.” A senior NATO official mentioned to reporters that the U.S. request for European allies to boost contributions “is not new” and acknowledged that 2% is insufficient.

Before concluding his remarks, Hegseth reiterated that the U.S. “remains committed to both the NATO alliance and its defense partnership with Europe. That is certain. However, the United States will no longer support an imbalanced relationship that fosters dependency.”

Following Hegseth’s address, a European defense official expressed a general sense of relief that the U.S. is not planning to depart from NATO entirely. The sentiment suggests that as long as the U.S. is a NATO member, there will remain opportunities to negotiate the specifics of U.S. support for Europe and Ukraine.

For the moment, the U.S. is not halting the military assistance to Ukraine that has already been secured through previous aid packages.

Nevertheless, as has been emphasized for some time, Ukraine continues to require additional armored vehicles, long-range artillery, and air defense systems, according to a NATO official. Hegseth did not signal any plans on Wednesday for the U.S. to continue utilizing military stockpiles for supplying weapons and equipment to Ukraine, a process referred to as Presidential Drawdown Authority.

The Department of Defense has not yet acted on allocating nearly $4 billion in congressionally authorized funds remaining from the prior administration.

Hegseth also did not provide a vision of what a potential settlement might entail between Ukraine and Russia. In a recent interview with The Guardian, Zelensky suggested the possibility of trading territory controlled by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region for land in Ukraine seized by Russia, but Moscow promptly dismissed this proposition.

“Russia has never considered and will not consider the issue of territory exchanges,” stated Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday.

As reported by CNN on Tuesday, there is a growing consensus within the administration that Russian President Vladimir Putin, rather than Zelensky, presents the main obstacle to productive negotiations. Similarly, European officials have mentioned that they have seen no indications that Putin is willing to engage in sincere discussions.

Reporters Anna Chernova and Catherine Nicholls from CNN contributed to this article.

This article has been updated with new information.