NATO membership for Ukraine is unrealistic, says U.S. Defense Secretary Hagseth

He made this statement during Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels, as reported by Bloomberg.  

According to Hegseth, pursuing NATO membership would "prolong the war" in Ukraine.  

"Chasing this illusory goal will only extend the war and cause more suffering," he stated.  

The U.S. Defense Secretary also added that restoring Ukraine's 2014 borders is not a realistic outcome and reiterated that the U.S. will not deploy its troops to Ukraine.  

At the same time, he emphasized that the EU must "step up" and take greater responsibility for the continent's security.

• On February 12, the 26th Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein format) meeting began in Brussels. Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov shared the agenda. Before the meeting, Umerov met with his counterparts from the United Kingdom and the United States.