Speaking ahead of a meeting of the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, Hegseth also said that he does not believe Ukraine joining NATO is "realistic."
"The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement," Hegseth said, adding U.S. troops will not be involved in securing a postwar Kyiv.
Any security guarantees for the war-torn country "must be backed by capable European and non-European troops," the Trump Cabinet official said.
President Trump often lamented on the campaign trail last year that Washington was spending too much money on aid for Ukraine and has long pushed for NATO members to increase their spending on defense.
Hegseth said Wednesday he wanted to "directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe," noting Washington is "focusing on securing our own border."
He also said it is "unrealistic" to try to return Ukraine's borders to what they were before 2014 — when Russia annexed Crimea — indicating that the United States will push a negotiation between Kyiv and Moscow to end the war in which Ukraine cedes territory.
Some critics suggested Hegseth's comments may have taken away some of Ukraine's leverage in negotiations, though Trump brushed off a question about whether that was the case.
Trump spoke earlier in the day with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin and made clear in both calls that his administration was pushing to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The conflict began in February 2022 when Russian forces invaded Ukraine.
"No one wants peace more than Ukraine," Zelensky posted on the social platform X after his call with Trump. "Together with the U.S., we are charting our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace. As President Trump said, let's get it done."
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
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