Trump Administration Signals Reduced U.S. Role in Ukraine Conflict

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls NATO membership for Ukraine unrealistic and urges Europe to take the lead on security guarantees.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Ukraine's NATO membership and a return to pre-2014 borders are unrealistic goals during a NATO meeting in Brussels.
The Trump administration emphasized that future security guarantees for Ukraine should be led by European and non-NATO forces, with no U.S. troops involved.
President Trump announced a discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war, raising concerns about potential concessions to Russia.
Hegseth called for European nations to provide the majority of future military and financial aid to Ukraine, signaling a shift in U.S. priorities to focus on domestic and Indo-Pacific security.
The U.S. also pushed NATO allies to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, a target significantly higher than the current 2% commitment.