OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:35 AM – Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Wednesday that he does not believe Ukraine joining NATO is “realistic,” amidst peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
“The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,” Hegseth stated prior to a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels, Belgium.
Hegseth continued on to state that security guarantees for Ukraine “must be backed by capable European and non-European troops.”
“To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine,” he added.
Hegseth also revealed that Russia ceding annexed territory such as Crimea is “unrealistic,” and that peace negotiations would likely include Russia keeping pieces of Ukrainian territory captured throughout the war.
“We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine, But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective,” Hegseth stated. “Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.”
President Donald Trump has consistently been skeptical of sending billions in aid to Ukraine throughout his 2024 presidential campaign, while more recently proposing rare earth minerals in exchange for military aid.
“We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other things,” Trump stated on Monday. “I want security of the rare earth, and they’re willing to do it.”
Ukraine is rich in elements such as lithium, gallium, and neodymium, which are extremely valuable for the production of electric vehicle batteries, state-of-the-art military hardware, and solar panels.
Despite peace talks ramping up, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed on Tuesday that he believes only America can offer security guarantees, pointing towards the American made Patriot air defense system as a critical piece of defense equipment.
Additionally, Trump wrote on a series of social media posts on Wednesday that he spoke to both Putin and Zelensky about finalizing peace talks.
“I just spoke to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. The conversation went very well. He, like President Putin, wants to make PEACE. We discussed a variety of topics having to do with the War, but mostly, the meeting that is being set up on Friday in Munich, where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the Delegation. I am hopeful that the results of that meeting will be positive. It is time to stop this ridiculous War, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, DEATH and DESTRUCTION. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!” Trump announced.
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