US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a significant shift in American military policy, stating that US troops will not be used to secure peace in Ukraine following any ceasefire deal with Vladimir Putin. This marks a dramatic change in the US’s foreign and defence policy, moving away from Europe to focus on threats posed by China and securing its own borders.
Hegseth emphasized that it is “unrealistic” to expect Ukraine to return to its pre-2014 borders and ruled out NATO membership as a way to guarantee Kyiv’s security. He called on European allies to take greater responsibility for their own security, urging them to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP, more than double the current target.
This announcement is a significant blow to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has been seeking robust security guarantees to ensure that the war won’t begin again. Hegseth made it clear that these guarantees should not be provided through NATO membership but should be backed by capable European and non-European troops.
The US remains committed to the NATO alliance and the defence partnership with Europe, but Hegseth warned that America’s patience is limited and that European allies must step up to take ownership of conventional security on the continent.
