Pete Hegseth: Fighting for pre-2014 borders ‘unrealistic’ for Ukraine

Published February 12, 2025 10:38am ET



Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said it was unrealistic for Ukraine and its allies to seek to restore the borders between Ukraine and Russia before 2014, when the latter annexed Crimea.

His remarks, which he made on Wednesday ahead of his first attendance at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, further demonstrated the Trump administration’s belief that Ukraine will have to cede territory to negotiate an end to the war.

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