'Rookie mistake': US Senate clarifies Hegseth's remarks on Ukraine
Photo: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (Getty Images)
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made a “rookie mistake.” This explains his statement that Ukraine's return to pre-war borders is unrealistic, said Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker, according to Politico.
"Hegseth is going to be a great defense secretary, although he wasn’t my choice for the job. But he made a rookie mistake in Brussels and he’s walked back some of what he said but not that line," Wicker told the agency on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
The senator added that he did not know who wrote Hegseth's speech, although it could have been written by Tucker Carlson, and “Carlson is a fool.”
In addition, Wicker, being a strong supporter of Ukraine, said that he was “surprised” by Hagel's initial comments about Ukraine and “heartened” that the new Pentagon chief changed course.
"Everybody knows … and people in the administration know you don't say before your first meeting what you will agree to and what you won't agree to," said Wicker, adding that he was still "puzzled" and "disturbed" by Hegseth’s comments.
What did Hegseth say
Recently, the new head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, made a statement about Ukraine's return to its pre-2014 borders, calling such a scenario unrealistic. In addition, he said, the United States does not believe that Ukraine's membership in NATO is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.
Later, RBC-Ukraine wrote, citing sources, that NATO believes that Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth's statements do not rule out Ukraine's membership in NATO in the future. The point is that the issue of Euro-Atlantic integration will not be part of the negotiations between Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow.
As early as February 14, Hegseth explained that he wanted to bring realism to the conversation with his harsh statements about Ukraine and its prospects for ending the war.
