U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III dismissed on the 12th (local time) claims that restoring the Ukrainian border to before Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 is 'unrealistic.'
During his opening remarks at the 'Ukraine Defense Contact Group' (UDCG) meeting held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Austin noted, 'President Trump seeks to end the war through diplomacy by involving Russia and Ukraine in negotiations,' adding that 'the Ministry of National Defense will assist in achieving that goal.'
He further stated, 'We also want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine, but it must start with acknowledging that restoring Ukraine's borders to their pre-2014 state is an unrealistic goal.' He added, 'Otherwise, the war will prolong and only cause more pain.'
The Ukrainian government has stated its position that, in principle, it must recover all territories occupied by Russia in this war, including Crimea, which contradicts this claim.
Austin also drew a line regarding the possibility of Ukraine's NATO membership, stating that he does not see Ukraine's accession as a 'realistic outcome' of the war negotiations the United States seeks to push forward.
Austin also said, 'I agree that defense expenditure for NATO member countries should be at least 5% (of GDP),' adding that European member states should 'overwhelmingly' increase their support for Ukraine. He noted, 'The United States will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship with its allies.'
He stated, 'To guarantee Ukraine's future security, an internationally constituted military force is necessary,' while adding the condition of 'without American troops.'
The UDCG, which Austin attended on this day, is an informal consultative body established by the Biden administration to coordinate international support following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. About 50 countries around the world, including NATO member states and South Korea, participate. Since the inauguration of the Trump administration, which has been skeptical of support for Ukraine, the continuation of the UDCG has been uncertain, and the meeting was chaired by British Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace.