Friday, February 14, 2025

Hegseth Dismisses Ukraine NATO Membership as Part of a Deal

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is unrealistic and the Trump administration does not see NATO membership for Kyiv as part of a solution to the war triggered by Russia's invasion.

Posted by lamplighter at 12:31 PM | 27 COMMENTS | permalink

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Hegseth at NATO summit: "We can talk all we want about values. Values are important. But you can't shoot values."

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-- Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) February 13, 2025 at 10:59 AM

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More from the article...

... In an interview with Fox News earlier this week, Trump did not appear to give full-throated support for Ukraine's future sovereignty.

"They may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday," he said. Trump has also said the U.S. would like access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals in exchange for support. ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-12 01:04 PM

Looks like Pres Trump is surrendering Ukraine to Pres Putin?

#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-12 01:05 PM

Looks like Pres Trump is surrendering Ukraine to Pres Putin?

Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-12 01:05 PM | Reply

Yeppers. Trump works for Putin dontcha know??

#3 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-02-12 01:06 PM

Trump says he has spoken to Putin and agreed to negotiate Ukraine ceasefire
www.theguardian.com

... Donald Trump has said that he and Vladimir Putin have spoken directly and agreed to begin negotiations to broker a ceasefire to the war in Ukraine.

In a social media post, Trump said that held a "lengthy and highly productive phone call" with Putin and that they agreed to "have our respective teams start negotiations immediately".

He also said that he and Putin had agreed to visit each other's nations.

"As we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine," Trump wrote on TruthSocial. "President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, COMMON SENSE.' We both believe very strongly in it. We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other's Nations."

The US negotiating team would include the secretary of state, Marco Rubio; the director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe; the national security adviser, Michael Waltz, and the ambassador and special envoy Steve Witkoff. ...


- and -

US no longer primarily focused' on Europe's security, says Pete Hegseth
www.theguardian.com

#4 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-12 01:35 PM

- US no longer primarily focused' on Europe's security

America Firsters, aka Trumpers, have always been the same; they prefer to be Nazis over here than fight Nazis over there.

Here's some of them now:

www.theatlantic.com

#5 | Posted by Corky at 2025-02-12 02:13 PM

Did anyone ever think NATO membership was on the table for any "deal" with Russia?

#6 | Posted by sentinel at 2025-02-12 02:52 PM

@#6 ... Did anyone ever think NATO membership was on the table for any "deal" with Russia? ...

Why was it taken off the table so early by surrender President Trump?

My view is that being a member of NATO is the main thing needed to assure Pres Putin does not invade once again to finish the job of annexing all of Ukraine. And that "finishing the job by Pres Putin" seems to be what Pres Trump is working towards.



#7 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-12 03:46 PM

Is it true Hegspeth has a uniformed aide following him around with a briefcased breathalyzer so tests can be administered before this colossal ------- opens his pie hole? That's what I think someone said, somewhere, sometime. Must be true.

#8 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-02-12 05:34 PM

Is it true Hegspeth has a uniformed aide following him around with a briefcased breathalyzer so tests can be administered

#8 | POSTED BY DOC_SARVIS

There's every reason to think that the man was drunk when he said these things.

#9 | Posted by Zed at 2025-02-12 06:00 PM

"Why was it taken off the table so early by surrender President Trump?"

Donald's a Russian asset.

#10 | Posted by Zed at 2025-02-12 06:01 PM

If you're going to put a brain-wormed recovering heroin addict in at HHS, what's the problem with an allegedly recovering alcoholic in at Defense? Remember, according to Old Orange Julius these are among the very best people he's been able to attract to his fetid swamp of venality, stupidity, and duplicity.

#11 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-02-12 06:07 PM

Hegseth is following the Kremlin's talking points perfectly. The dipsomaniac will also discuss Ukraine's alleged corruption and the need for them to hold elections.


#12 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-02-12 06:20 PM

Good! We need to remove entangling alliances that enable other countries to involve us in wars.

#13 | Posted by Robson at 2025-02-12 08:22 PM

Robson looks good in Uniform in post #5... I have to admit it.

#14 | Posted by Corky at 2025-02-12 09:11 PM

Ukrainians React To Proposed Territory Swap With Russia

www.youtube.com

2 mins

#15 | Posted by Corky at 2025-02-12 09:43 PM

Much has been said that the role of the US in NATO is to protect Western Europe from Russia. IMO, I think the role of the US is to protect Europe from itself! Western history is replete with examples of European countries fighting each other. It was only the intervention by the US that brought that to a halt; a halt that has lasted @ 80 years. If history is any guide, it is more likely that Europeans will end up fighting each other that it is that they will protect each other. It was only the stabilizing influence of the US that is responsible for the "relative" peace in Europe.

#16 | Posted by FedUpWithPols at 2025-02-13 08:45 AM

I trust his word. Jk, of course I don't trust his word

#17 | Posted by hamburglar at 2025-02-13 11:16 AM

@#13 ... Good! We need to remove entangling alliances that enable other countries to involve us in wars. ...

The one and only time NATO invoked Article 5 was for NATO to come to the aid of the United States.

#18 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-02-13 12:38 PM

Good! We need to remove entangling alliances that enable other countries to involve us in wars.

#13 | Posted by Robson at 2025-02-12 08:22 PM | Reply

We need them just as much if not more than they need us. There is safety in numbers. Just sayin

#19 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-02-13 12:49 PM

Death to Putin

#20 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-02-13 04:26 PM


We need them just as much if not more than they need us. There is safety in numbers. Just sayin
#19 | Posted by LauraMohr

Really? You think so? It's only "safety in numbers" when everyone participates. Looking at the contribution table, it seems like the US cares more than everyone else combined, yet it's not an immediate interest of the US. Asia is more important than Europe.

#21 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-02-14 12:54 PM


The one and only time NATO invoked Article 5 was for NATO to come to the aid of the United States.
#18 | Posted by LampLighter

Did the United States really need their help? Or was it for "political/propaganda" reasons?

#22 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-02-14 12:55 PM

If history is any guide, it is more likely that Europeans will end up fighting each other that it is that they will protect each other.

I believe the EU integration has made it close to impossible to fight each other.

The collapse will come due to their immigration policies which they seem to be slowly changing.

#23 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-02-14 12:57 PM

Zelenskyy just needs to buy Hogsbreath a couple of drinks-he'll come around...

#24 | Posted by Yodagirl at 2025-02-14 01:37 PM

The UK and or France should give Ukraine the nukes they need to defend themselves. We did sign a treaty with Russia and Ukraine when we took their nukes away that stated Russia and the USA would provide security to them. Seeing as how the fat orange traitor is trying to give away Ukraine to his fascist buddies in Russia the French or English shall have to provide what is necessary to keep the Russian hoards out of Ukraine.

#25 | Posted by Wildman62 at 2025-02-14 01:47 PM

Can we claw back some of the last-minute Biden graftgrabs?

#26 | Posted by bootyhunter at 2025-02-14 05:18 PM

Daddysfist, are you going to claw back the $20 million the------------- pissed away while fouling the Super Bowl?

#27 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2025-02-14 05:23 PM

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