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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact group at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday. Omar Havana/AP hide caption
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Omar Havana/AP
BRUSSELS — The new U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said restoring Ukraine's pre-2014 borders and allowing it to enter NATO are "unrealistic" goals for ending the country's three-year war with Russia.
He also said Europe ought to take on much greater responsibility for its own defense, and that it would not be America's primary focus.
The remarks came during a NATO gathering in Brussels Wednesday, as Hegseth made his debut in Europe as President Trump's new defense secretary.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
Teri Schultz reported in Brussels; Willem Marx is based in London.
