Pentagon chief Hegseth: No old borders, no NATO membership for Ukraine

A peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine is a "top priority" for Donald Trump's administration, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth stated during a meeting of the NATO contact group providing military aid to Ukraine, Reuters reports.

"Achieving a lasting peace is our highest priority. And the US Department of Defense will help achieve this goal," the US defense chief said.

Hegseth also emphasized that the American leadership believes it is necessary to halt hostilities as soon as possible, while taking into account the real situation on the battlefield. However, the Pentagon chief stressed the need for a "sustainable peace" that does not replicate the 2014 and 2015 Minsk Agreements.

Previously, Hegseth stated that the Trump administration's goal in Ukraine is to end the military conflict through diplomatic means. 

Retrieving Ukraine’s Pre-2014 Borders Unrealistic

The United states does not see NATO membership for Ukraine as an outcome of peace talks,US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also said. 

"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 the meeting of Ukrainian officials and allies.

A lasting peace for Ukraine must include strong security guarantees to ensure that the war does not start again. This should not be 'Minsk-3'.

Any security guarantees should be supported by any European and non-European forces capable of providing them. If these forces are deployed as peacekeepers in Ukraine at any point, they should not be part of a NATO mission. [...] American troops will not be deployed in Ukraine, Pete Hegseth also noted in his speech.

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Peter Brian Hegseth (born June 6, 1980) is an American television presenter, author, and former National Guard officer who has served as the United States secretary of defense since 2025. Hegseth studied politics at Princeton University, where he published for The Princeton Tory, a conservative student newspaper. In 2003, he was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Minnesota National Guard, where he served at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Hegseth worked for several organizations after leaving Iraq, including as an executive director at Vets For Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. He became a contributor for Fox News in 2014. Hegseth served as an advisor to Trump after initally supporting his campaign in 2016. From 2017 to 2024, he was a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend. He has written several books, including American Crusade (2020) and The War on Warriors (2024).