During a meeting of the Ramstein Defense Contact Group in the format, which took place on February 12 in Brussels, the new US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegset, said that Ukraine's return to the 2014 borders and its membership in NATO is not realistic. He emphasized the need for an objective assessment of the situation and diplomatic resolution of the conflict, emphasizing that the desire for these goals would only delay the war and bring more suffering.
Hegset noted that the United States seeks sovereign and prosperous Ukraine, but in order to achieve a long peace, it is necessary to consider the situation from a realistic perspective. According to him, returning to borders by 2014 is an unattainable purpose that complicates the peaceful process. The Minister of Defense added that prolonged peace in Ukraine can only be achieved through strong security guarantees that would provide that the conflict would not be restored.
Hegset also clarified that Ukraine's membership in NATO is an unrealistic result of negotiation settlement. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of security guarantees, which should be supported by the capable troops of European countries or other countries, with US troops not deployed in Ukraine.
In order to ensure peace and stability, according to Hegset, troops must be deployed outside NATO and not be subject to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Alliance. In addition, reliable international supervision of a collision line is required to ensure the implementation of arrangements.
