Defense &
National Security
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Defense &
National Security
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Hegseth says Ukraine keeping prewar borders 'unrealistic'
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signaled the U.S. will no longer prioritize European security as the administration looks to broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. |
Speaking ahead of a meeting of the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, Hegseth also said that he does not believe Ukraine joining NATO is “realistic."
“The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,” Hegseth said, adding U.S. troops will not be involved in securing a postwar Kyiv. Any security guarantees for the war-torn country “must be backed by capable European and non-European troops,” the Trump Cabinet official said.
President Trump often lamented on the campaign trail last year that Washington was spending too much money on aid for Ukraine and has long pushed for NATO members to increase their spending on defense.
Hegseth said Wednesday he wanted to “directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe,” noting Washington is “focusing on securing our own border.”
He also said it is “unrealistic” to try to return Ukraine’s borders to what they were before 2014 — when Russia annexed Crimea — indicating that the United States will push a negotiation between Kyiv and Moscow to end the war in which Ukraine cedes territory. Some critics suggested Hegseth’s comments may have taken away some of Ukraine’s leverage in negotiations, though Trump brushed off a question about whether that was the case. Trump spoke earlier in the day with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin and made clear in both calls that his administration was pushing to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The conflict began in February 2022 when Russian forces invaded Ukraine.
“No one wants peace more than Ukraine,” Zelensky posted on the social platform X after his call with Trump. “Together with the U.S., we are charting our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace. As President Trump said, let’s get it done.”
Read the full report at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. |
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How policy will affect defense and national security now and in
the future: |
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The rate of growth for Russia’s military spending outpaced all other European countries combined in 2024 as its invasion of Ukraine has persisted for nearly three years, according to an analysis from a London-based think tank. The report, published Wednesday by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said Russian military spending grew by nearly 42 percent and reached an estimated $145.9 billion. In … |
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Global war fears are rising among experts around the world, with more than 40 percent expecting a new world conflict in the next decade, according to a survey released Wednesday. The poll from the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security found that 40.5 percent of security experts across more than 60 countries think that by 2035, there will be a multifront war among the most powerful nations. Nearly … |
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{beacon} Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} a> Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story No plans to draw down US forces in Europe, for now Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday said the Trump administration doesn’t anticipate cutting U.S. troop levels in Europe any time soon, but that could change later. © AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta Hegseth, … |
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Upcoming things we're watching on our beat: |
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The Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard to be nation’s intelligence chief and she has been sworn in to the role at the White House.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth participated in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO’s Brussels headquarters with a vist to Poland to follow.
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The 61st Munich Security Conference will be held Friday through Sunday in Munich, Germany.
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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Senate Dems ask for Homeland Security hearing over inspectors general firing |
Senate Democrats asked for a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing over the recent inspectors general firings by President Trump, in a letter Wednesday. “President Trump’s sudden removal of 18 Inspectors General on January 25, 2025 and removal of the Inspector General … |
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Events in and around the defense world: |
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NATO Defense Ministers will begin a two-day meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
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Outside officials will testify on past problems with the U.S. Agency for International Development and future reforms before the House Foreign Affairs Committee at 8:30 a.m.
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The Senate Armed Services Committee will hear from Adm. Alvin Holsey, head of U.S. Southern Command, and Gen. Gregory Guillot, head of U.S. Northern Command, on current threats and challenges for their agencies, at 9:30 a.m.
- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on “Eliminating Waste by the Foreign Aid Bureaucracy” at 10 a.m.
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The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hear from outside analysts on the security situation in Syria and challenges for U.S. policy in the region, at 10:30 a.m.
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News we've flagged from other outlets: |
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Trump firings of Inspectors General violated federal law, Pentagon and VA watchdogs say in new lawsuit (Military.com)
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Hegseth didn't request over $137,000 in upgrades to his new military residence, official says (The Associated Press)
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A new kind of Defense secretary saves his ammunition for domestic enemies (The New York Times)
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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A federal judge declined to further pause a federal government buyout program, enabling the government to forge ahead with its “Fork in the Road” … Read more |
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When JOANN filed for bankruptcy last month, the company said it expected all of its stores to remain open. Read more |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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President Trump said he will likely meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia. Trump spoke with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately about immediate ...
CBS News - 6h
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In his first trip abroad, the new U.S. defense secretary told allies, including NATO officials, that a durable peace could only come “with a realistic assessment of the battlefield.”
The New York Times - 7h
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The US President took questions from the press in the Oval Office after announcing he would be meeting Putin in Saudi Arabia.
BBC News - 8h
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"The bloodshed must stop and this war must end," U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
ABC News - 16h
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that U.S. troops will not be deployed to Ukraine to defend against Russia and is conceding that the U.S. ally's mission to return to its pre-2014 borders is an ...
CBS News - 12h
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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Wednesday, "We want... a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine, but we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic ...
CBS News - 15h
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US defence secretary Peter Hegseth issued the warning to allies at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group’s meeting in Brussels. Back to Budapest, where the Alternative für Deutschland’s co-leader ...
The Guardian - 15h
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that he does not believe Ukraine joining NATO is “realistic,” as the Trump administration looks to broker an end to Russia’s war in the country. ...
The Hill - 15h
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Defense Secretary Hegseth said it was “unrealistic” to aim for a return to Ukraine’s borders as they were before 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea.
NBC News - 16h
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The Hill - 3h
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The Hill - 4h
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The Hill - 5h
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The Hill - 3h
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The recent concerns over the health of Republican Senator Mitch McConnell are reigniting debate about when it's time for lawmakers to step aside. NBC News' Ryan Nobles has more on the concerns.
NBC News - 3h
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Roughly 75,000 federal workers across government have accepted a buyout offer, taking an unusual deal spearheaded by the Trump administration as it looks to reduce the federal workforce. A senior ...
The Hill - 4h
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A federal judge late Wednesday agreed to a temporary restraining order blocking President Trump from firing the head of the Office of the Special Counsel, keeping a key protector of whistleblowers ...
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The Hill - 5h
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