‘No betrayal’ in Trump move toward Ukraine war negotiations, Hegseth says

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said President Donald Trump’s move toward negotiations with Russia to end the war with Ukraine was “no betrayal” during a visit to NATO headquarters in Belgium on Thursday.

Hegseth replied to a reporter’s question about the U.S. potentially betraying Ukraine after Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about beginning to negotiate peace without Kyiv’s full involvement.

“There is no betrayal there,” Hegseth told reporters. “There is a recognition that the whole world and the United States is invested and interested in peace, a negotiated peace.”

Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 2022, when Russia first invaded its neighboring nation. Trump had repeatedly said while on the campaign trail that if he was president in 2022 the war would not have broken out — vowing to end it if re-elected. 

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On Wednesday, Trump said he had a “lengthy” call with Putin, which included the Russian leader agreeing to “immediately” begin negotiations over the war in Ukraine. Trump also spoke with Zelenskyy separately. After talks with both leaders, Trump said he would “probably” meet in person with the Russian leader in the near term, possibly in Saudi Arabia.

Responding to a separate question, Hegseth referred to the phone calls and pointed to Trump’s ability as a negotiator.

“I think you saw from President Trump yesterday, who himself is the best negotiator on the planet, bringing two sides together to find a negotiated peace, which is ultimately what everyone wants,” he said. “So I look forward to the ministerial today with our NATO allies to have honest conversations about where we are.”

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Hegseth also said he believes Trump is the “one man in the world capable of convening the parties together to bring peace.”

During his visit to NATO headquarters on Wednesday, Hegseth told allies that “returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective,” as Trump works to bring an end to the war.

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“He intends to end this war by diplomacy and bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the table.  And the U.S. Department of Defense will help achieve this goal,” Hegseth said. “We want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But 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.” 

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Greg Norman, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.