FoxNews: Ukraine regaining pre-2014 borders is ‘unrealistic objective,’ Hegseth says in first NATO visit … AND: No NATO, No US Troops for Ukraine

Pete Hegseth told today NATO allies that “stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being primarily focused on the security of Europe” because the U.S. is focusing on “securing our own borders and detering war with China”.

No US troops will be sent to Ukraine.

Hegseth said “we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.”

Ukraine, so the US, must accept to lose territory to Russia.

“The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops.”

That’s a tough statement for Europe. The US is departing from the Ukraine conflict and leaves the mess to the Europeans, to the UK and to the other war supporters.

To finish the Ukrainian or European hopes, Hegseth said:

“If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and not covered under Article 5. There also must be robust international oversight of the line of contact,” he continued. “To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine.”

Today’s clear US policy: No NATO for Ukraine, Europe to clean up the mess, no US troops in Ukraine, no Art. 5 for any NATO country’s troops in Ukraine. Europe on its own risk and costs.

The Guardian reminds that Donald Trump demands a $ 500 billion pledge of rare earth deposits by Ukraine if Ukraine should get any further help from the US. Zelensky agreed in principal with the US demand, leaving nothing for the Europeans.

Project Ukraine of the Obama/Biden era is terminated, the US are withdrawing and demand compensation, the Europeans must clean up the mess and cover all the costs. In other words, the peace deal with Russia will get worse and worse for Ukraine … and for Europe.