U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Heth gave a speech in Europe outlining a shift in the U.S. stance on the Ukraine war, acknowledging that restoring Ukraine's pre-2022 borders is unrealistic. His comments suggest a growing recognition of battlefield realities, which has unsettled Ukrainian officials but reassured many in the U.S.

Former Colonel Doug McGregor analyzed the speech, interpreting it as a potential move toward ending the war through negotiation. He noted that the U.S. is echoing Russian positions, emphasizing that NATO membership for Ukraine is off the table and ruling out American troop deployments.

McGregor was skeptical of Ukrainian President Zelensky's recent offer of rare earth minerals to the U.S., suggesting that key deposits are in Russian-controlled territories. He also criticized past Western diplomatic efforts, particularly the Minsk agreements, as deceptive maneuvers used to buy time for Ukraine to prepare militarily against Russia.

The discussion concluded that Russia, having strengthened significantly despite Western efforts to weaken it, is unlikely to accept any ceasefire without solid security guarantees. McGregor advised that negotiations should be conducted discreetly to avoid media interference, drawing parallels to past Cold War-era diplomacy.

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Sarah Moss and Max Porter