The United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegesh, said Wednesday that the Trump administration does not believe “some of Ukraine’s demands, such as His adhesion to NATO or return to the borders of 2014for a negotiated exit to a war that is about to turn three years.
“USA He does not believe that Ukraine entry into NATO is realistic For a negotiated agreement «, hegseth said at a meeting of the contact group on Ukraine in Brussels and before Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Rustem Uumerov.
Hegseth explained that safety guarantees for Ukraine must be supported «By European and non -European troops»but not American. However, this mission of peace forces should not be subject to article 5 of NATO, which establishes that an attack on an ally compromises the rest of the organization.
In turn, he has suggested to Ukraine to discard recovering borders before 2014. “It is an unrealistic objective”that “only war will prolong and cause more suffering,” he said, while defended that the sanctions and the drop in energy prices will attract Russia to the negotiating table.
Once again, the Trump administration has urged European allies to dedicate even more efforts and financing to the defense of the continent And, as part of this, he stressed that they must be the ones who contribute in a “overwhelming” the next deliveries of armament and military aid to Ukraine.
Hegseth has indicated that European countries have to be “Sincere” with its citizens “On the threat facing Europe” and making them see that it can only be fought effectively if they spend, as President Trump demands, 5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Defense.
These statements arrive only a few hours after NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte, has redoubled the pressure so that European allies raise the expenditure level and insisted that all members of the organization reach 2% before summer and meet “sooner rather than later” with the new bar that It will be above 3% of GDP.
The US has its own threats
The head of the Pentagon has explained that the United States cannot focus on the security of Europe because You have to face your own threats to your safetysuch as the situation of its borders or the one that is a “competitor like communist China.”
«The United States is giving priority to the deterrence of war with China in the Pacific (…) deterrence cannot fail for the good of all. While the United States prioritizes your attention to these threats, European allies must lead them from the front«, He said.
Hegseth stressed, however, that some countries have begun to see these threats that the Trump administration speaks and They have taken measureslike Sweden, which has announced the largest military aid package in its history, or Poland, which already spends 5% of GDP in defense.
«These are the first steps. There is still much to do »Trump’s Secretary of Defense said, who has claimed the rest to accelerate his commitments and “commit themselves again not only to the immediate security needs of Ukraine, but also with the long -term objectives of Europe.”
Although he stressed that Washington is still committed to NATO, the alliance will not last in the future if European partners do not assume responsibility for the security of the continent. «The United States will no longer tolerate an unbalanced relationship that encourages dependency, ”he warned.
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