Hegseth says Ukraine cannot expect return to old borders

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said 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, Report informs via Reuters.

Speaking at a meeting of Ukraine's military allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Hegseth delivered the clearest and bluntest public statement so far on the new US administration's approach to the nearly three-year-old war.

"We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective," Hegseth told the meeting of Ukrainian officials and more than 40 allies.