BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said that Ukraine's NATO membership is unrealistic.
He called on European members of NATO to take the lead in providing support for Ukraine and Europe's security, and increase their contribution to the military alliance.
The new US Defense Secretary addressed the war in Ukraine and European security in general while delivering remarks at the 26th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels.
The UDCG, which was founded in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, is a coalition of around 50 nations that meet regularly to discuss Ukraine's security needs.
'If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission, and they should not be covered under Article 5 [of the NATO treaty],' Hegseth said, adding that 'as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine.'
Hegseth also said the UDCG should recognize that it would be an 'unrealistic objective' to try to return Ukraine to its pre-2014 borders. 'Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,' according to him.
Hegseth said that European NATO members should view safeguarding European security as an 'imperative' and that providing an 'overwhelming share' of both nonlethal and lethal aid is part of that.
'This means donating more ammunition and equipment, leveraging comparative advantages, expanding your defense industrial base and - importantly - leveling with your citizens about the threat facing Europe,' Hegseth said, adding that he agrees with President Donald Trump's assessment that NATO nations should be increasing their defense spending levels from 2 percent of their gross domestic product to 5 percent.
Hegseth called on NATO's European countries to address the continent's security concerns as the United States prioritizes its attention to threats from China to 'our homeland and core national interests in the Indo-Pacific.'
Hegseth added that the U.S. will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship that encourages dependency. He made it clear that Europe must take responsibility for its own security.
Opening the meeting, UK Defense Secretary John Healey announced a new £150 million military package to support Ukrainian troops fighting Russia on the frontline.
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