FILE – President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the House GOP conference, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (Allison Robbert/Pool via AP, File)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that President Donald Trump is committed to pursuing diplomatic solutions to bring an end to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
Speaking at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters in Brussels, Hegseth revealed that Trump plans to initiate a high-level roundtable discussion between Ukraine and Russia to negotiate peace.
“President Trump has been clear with the American people—and with many of your leaders—that stopping the fighting and reaching an enduring peace is a top priority,” Hegseth said during an address to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Belgium.
He further stated that the U.S. is shifting its strategic priorities, focusing on “securing our own borders” and “deterring war with China in the Pacific,” rather than being primarily centered on European security.
Acknowledging the complexities of the conflict, Hegseth emphasized that expecting Ukraine to return to its pre-2014 borders is “an unrealistic objective” and that prolonging such an ambition would only lead to further suffering.
“The U.S. Department of Defense will help achieve this goal of peace. We want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine, but a realistic approach is essential,” he said.
Trump’s renewed push for diplomacy marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, as his administration seeks to bring both warring nations to the negotiating table and bring an end to the prolonged conflict.
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