U.S. Says Ukraine NATO Membership ‘Unrealistic,’ Shifts Focus to U.S. Borders

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that Ukraine’s NATO membership is not a realistic outcome, as the Trump administration shifts its focus away from European security to securing U.S. borders and deterring conflict with China.

Hegseth, speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, stated that the war between Ukraine and Russia “must end” and that U.S. troops will not be deployed to Ukraine as part of any security guarantees. “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,” he said, adding that European and non-European forces must provide security guarantees instead.

He also described restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders as “unrealistic.” His remarks underscored the administration’s shift toward prioritizing U.S. border security and countering China over European military commitments.

Hours after Hegseth’s remarks, President Donald Trump announced that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and agreed to begin negotiations “immediately” to end the war in Ukraine. Trump said he would inform Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the conversation. The Kremlin later confirmed that Putin invited Trump to visit Moscow.

Trump also echoed Hegseth’s stance on Ukraine’s NATO membership, calling it impractical. “They’ve been saying for a long time that Ukraine should not go into NATO, and I’m okay with that,” Trump said from the Oval Office.

Many NATO allies share concerns about Ukraine’s NATO membership but avoid making public statements similar to Hegseth’s. A European defense official told CNN that openly ruling out Ukraine’s NATO bid could be seen as yielding to Russian pressure.

Some former U.S. officials criticized Hegseth’s remarks, with former State Department spokesman Matthew Miller saying the U.S. had “surrendered one of the main points of leverage before negotiations even begin.”

Hegseth did not announce any new U.S. military aid to Ukraine, reinforcing expectations that Washington will step back from its leadership role in supporting Kyiv. NATO and the European Union have been preparing for this shift, with NATO establishing its own security framework to coordinate military assistance.

“We hear your concerns on stepping up for Ukraine, and we hear your concerns on stepping up for European security,” said U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey. “We are and we will.” The U.K. chaired the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting for the first time, signaling its expanding role in Ukraine aid efforts.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte agreed with Trump that Europe must take more responsibility for Ukraine’s security but added, “To really change the trajectory of the conflict, we need to do even more.”

Hegseth reinforced Trump’s call for NATO members to increase defense spending from 2% to 5% of GDP.

Despite the shift in policy, Hegseth insisted that the U.S. remains committed to NATO.