US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the war between Ukraine and Russia “must end,” that Kyiv joining NATO is unrealistic, and that the US will no longer prioritize European and Ukrainian security as the Trump administration shifts its attention to securing the US’ own borders and deterring war with China.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says NATO membership for Ukraine is unrealistic. In sweeping remarks Wednesday, Hegseth suggests that the way forward for Ukraine is for the country to abandon hope

In his first trip abroad, the new U.S. defense secretary told allies, including NATO officials, that a durable peace could only come “with a realistic assessment of the battlefield.”