Ukraine advocates are up in arms about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments they believe give up leverage before the start of peace negotiations. (DefSec Hegseth on X)
Hegseth said Wednesday that "durable peace" for Ukraine must "ensure that the war will not begin again."
"The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops," he said.
"If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and not covered under Article 5. There also must be robust international oversight of the line of contact. To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine."
While it is little surprise the Trump administration does not currently support Ukraine’s NATO membership, or believe Ukraine can take back all of its territory including Crimea, critics argue that Hegseth vocalizing these beliefs just as President Donald Trump fired the opening salvo in peace negotiations took them off the table as leverage.
"Why would you unilaterally surrender on some of those key strategic issues? Even if Trump ultimately wants to give ground, at least get something in return," Bruen said.
‘NO BETRAYAL’ IN TRUMP MOVE TOWARD UKRAINE WAR NEGOTIATIONS, HEGSETH SAYS
"Anyone with any diplomatic experience would have said it is critical that we use this as part of our negotiation, as President Trump wants to have with Moscow. But the idea that we're simply going to announce all of the things that we are not going to do goes against 70 years of our diplomacy and our military strategy."
Michael McFaul, ambassador to Russia under the Obama administration, asked why the Trump administration appeared to be giving Russian President Vladimir Putin wins for free.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments came just before President Donald Trump called both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pictured here, and as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Kyiv. (Photo by Bonnie Cash/Getty Images)
"We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations," Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday of his call with Putin. "We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately."
He announced that he would asked Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to lead negotiations.
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Trump also said his call with Zelenskyy went "very well."
"It is time to stop this ridiculous War, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, DEATH and DESTRUCTION. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!"
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-officials-trump-critics-target-hegseths-ukraine-concessions-biggest-gift-russia