Hegseth on Ukraine's return to pre-2022 borders: 'Anything is possible'

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made this statement during a press conference in Warsaw on Friday, Ukrinform reports, citing CNN.

"Thankfully, the bravery of the Ukrainians and allies that came alongside them, especially early in the war, deterred and defeated Vladimir Putin from achieving what he wanted, which was all of Ukraine," Hegseth said.

Asked whether Putin would be "emboldened" by a negotiated settlement that awards him large swaths of Ukrainian territory, Hegseth said the Russian leader is "going to declare victory no matter what," but that Putin had fallen far short of his initial military objectives.

Whether or not Putin is "emboldened" by a negotiated settlement depends on NATO's response, Hegseth said.

"If NATO's response to the situation is to truly increase capabilities, truly increase inputs and spending to think more like Poland, to think more like the Baltics, who are closer to the threat… then I don't think… Putin will be emboldened by this outcome," he said.

He added that this approach would be "a recognition that the collective ability of the West to deter him [Putin] was something that actually happened."

Asked whether Ukraine could return to its pre-2022 borders, Hegseth said: "Anything is possible."

"My job today and in Brussels was to introduce realism to the conversation -- the reality that returning to 2014's borders as part of a negotiated settlement is unlikely. The reality of U.S. troops in Ukraine is unlikely. The reality of Ukraine's membership in NATO as part of a negotiated settlement – unlikely," he said.

Earlier this week, Hegseth said in Brussels that a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders, before Russia invaded Crimea and eastern Ukraine, is an "unrealistic objective."

Photo: Pete Hegseth / Facebook