U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined the vision for America's security policy concerning Ukraine.

The new head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, outlined the vision of U.S. security policy regarding Ukraine. Key points made by the American Secretary of Defense during the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the "Ramstein" format in Brussels on February 12 were highlighted by the Ukrainian service of "Voice of America."

No return to 2014 borders

Pete Hegseth stated that the U.S. aims to end the war by “uniting the strength of allies with a realistic assessment of the battlefield.” Therefore, returning to the 2014 borders is an unrealistic goal for Ukraine.

“Like you, we want a sovereign and successful Ukraine. We must start by acknowledging that returning to Ukraine's 2014 borders is an unrealistic goal. Striving for this illusory goal will only prolong the war and cause even more suffering,” Hegseth said.

Pressure on Russia as a way to engage in negotiations

The U.S. Secretary of Defense declared that the administration of President Donald Trump plans to conclude the war “through diplomatic means, engaging Russia and Ukraine in negotiations.” To encourage Russia to come to the negotiating table, the U.S. aims to increase economic pressure on it by lowering energy resource prices.

“To ensure effective diplomacy and lower energy prices that fund the Russian military machine, President Trump is ramping up American energy production and encouraging other countries to do the same. Lower energy prices combined with more effective application of energy sanctions will help bring Russia to the negotiating table,” the minister explained.

Security guarantees for Ukraine without NATO membership

The Pentagon chief emphasized the importance of guaranteeing security for Ukraine for a “stable peace,” yet deemed Ukraine's NATO membership as a result of negotiations unrealistic.

“A stable peace for Ukraine must include strong security guarantees to ensure that the war does not start again. It should not be Minsk 3.0. However, the U.S. does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of negotiations,” the minister stated.

According to Hegseth, any security guarantees must be backed by capable European and non-European forces.

“If they are deployed as a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, it must be outside NATO, and they should not fall under Article 5,” the minister said, adding that American troops would not be part of such a contingent.

Pete Hegseth stressed the need for “robust international monitoring along the line of contact.”

Europe must take the lead in assisting Ukraine

The U.S. Secretary of Defense is convinced that Europe should send more aid to Ukraine rather than the United States.

“Protecting European security must be imperative for European NATO members, as Europe needs to provide the lion's share of future lethal and non-lethal assistance to Ukraine. This means providing more ammunition and equipment and expanding their industrial bases,” Hegseth explained.

The head of the U.S. Department of Defense added that Europe can handle the threat if defense spending increases.

“For instance, Sweden recently announced its largest aid package. We applaud them for allocating ammunition and other necessary materials worth 1.2 billion. Poland is already spending 5% of its GDP on defense, setting an example for the continent. Additionally, 14 other countries jointly lead coalitions of various [military] assets,” the report states.

The U.S. focuses on containing China

The Pentagon chief explained that the U.S. cannot “focus primarily on the security of Europe.” According to him, there is a security threat “on its own borders” and from communist China.

“The priority for the U.S. is to deter war with China in the Pacific, recognize the reality of deficit, and ensure compromises to guarantee that deterrence does not fail,” Hegseth stated.

Notably, on February 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Ukraine received the first draft of a partnership agreement from the U.S. It is likely regarding U.S. investments in the extraction of Ukrainian natural resources. Currently, the Ukrainian team is working on this document to “quickly agree and [sign] it,” Zelensky said.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that this document is part of further guarantees to Ukrainians from the U.S. and that it sends “an important signal to the Russian leadership that we stand together” in economic cooperation with Ukraine.

On February 9, Donald Trump stated in an interview with the New York Post that he wants to make a $500 million deal with Zelensky for access to Ukrainian rare earth metals and gas in exchange for security guarantees in a possible peace agreement. However, later in the Trump administration, they mentioned a deal of $500 billion, stating that security guarantees were not on the table, and that Ukraine could use the resources to reimburse previously provided military aid from the U.S.