Speaking at a NATO meeting in Belgium, the defense secretary said the U.S. would no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship with its allies.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday said a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is "unrealistic." He also cast doubt on Ukraine's NATO membership prospects and suggested that Kyiv should consider a negotiated settlement with Russia backed by an international peacekeeping force.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the war between Ukraine and Russia “must end,” that Kyiv joining NATO is unrealistic, and that the US will no longer prioritize European and Ukrainian security as the Trump administration shifts its attention to securing the US’ own borders and deterring war with China.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said it is "unrealistic" to expect Ukraine to return to its pre-2014 borders, when Russia first took control of Crimea. Speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels,

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders was unrealistic and the Trump administration does not see NATO membership for Kyiv as part of a solution to the war triggered by Russia's invasion.

New US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to assume the role of backseat driver in his first in person meeting with European counterparts on Wednesday as the new Trump administration works to shift responsibility for Ukrainian and European security squarely to NATO and the EU.