US Defense Secretary Says Ukraine Won’t Return to 2014 Borders
The US Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, said that returning to Ukraine’s borders before 2014 is not a concession to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He made this comment at a briefing in Brussels on February 13.
Ukraine and Russia have been fighting over the Donbas region since 2014. Russia took control of Crimea after a revolution ousted President Viktor Yanukovych. Hegseth said that it’s realistic to accept that Ukraine won’t get back its old borders. He believes this is not a concession, but rather a recognition of what has happened on the ground.
Many experts and officials in Ukraine and Europe have criticized Hegseth for his comments. They think he is undermining Ukraine’s chances of getting concessions from Russia before peace talks start. Hegseth also said that joining NATO might not be a realistic option for Ukraine. This is something that both President Donald Trump and Russian officials have suggested.
President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes that Trump can help get more support for Ukraine to join NATO. However, the US and some other countries are opposed to this idea. Despite this, NATO has said that Ukraine’s path to membership is “irreversible”.
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