At a stroke the US Defense Secretary shifted the goalposts of Ukraine's bargaining position by backing Putin's land-grab, selling out a democratic ally. Not satisfied with that, Hegseth gave more to Putin, outright telling Ukraine they will not be permitted into NATO.
Oh, and what's more, NATO won't protect you.
Peace talks haven't already started and Trump has given Putin EXACTLY what he wanted. Despicable.
To see the USA reduced to this is deeply disturbing: Conceding everything before negotiations start, and selling democracy down the river.
Trump plan for Ukraine as outlined by Sec of def Hegseth:
1.Putin gets major concessions before the talks even start.
2.Ukraine is getting nothing concrete. No security guarantees from the US of any value, no NATO membership, even it seems, no promise of future US aid for Ukraine.
As the piece makes clear:
The formal position of the US government is now that the sovereign and legally recognized territory of a democratic friend, is to be handed over to the control of a dictatorship and adversary of the U.S.
Comments by the secretary of defense today were catastrophic mistakes. You don't give away the things you're negotiating before you begin to negotiate.
Why is he telling the Ukrainians they need to give up territory?
That should happen at the negotiating table, not before the negotiations begin.
Within the context of a negotiation what are the Ukrainians getting? Nothing!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjVGMpiH28E&t=270s
Here sec defense has just articulated his administration's willingness to give Putin two giant victories:
1.Ukrainian land and
2.No Ukrainian membership in NATO.
What did he get from Putin in return? Absolutely nothing!
This is how this is NOT how you negotiate with Putin.