The United States on Thursday said it has not ruled out potential North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, membership for Ukraine or a negotiated return to its pre-2014 borders.
This is in contradiction to the comments made this week by the US defense secretary ahead of possible peace talks to end the Ukraine war.
When asked whether the US had ruled out possible NATO membership for Ukraine, President Donald Trump's deputy Ukraine envoy, John Coale, said "Right now, that is still on the table," adding that a possible return to Ukraine's pre-2014 lines was also still on the table.
Recall that On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a different message, telling Ukraine's military allies in Brussels that a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders was unrealistic and that the US does not see NATO membership for Kyiv as part of a solution to the nearly three-year-old Ukraine war.
The comments prompted concern that the US had made concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin even before the start of talks.
Trump, speaking after Coale's comments, told reporters in the White House that he did not believe Russia would allow Ukraine NATO membership, blaming President Joe Biden's administration for broaching the subject in the first place.
"I believe that is the reason the war started.Biden shouldn't have said that," Trump said.
However, earlier on Thursday, Hegseth appeared to backtrack on his own remarks, telling a press conference that everything was on the table for Ukraine war negotiations, reiterating that it was up to Trump to decide what concessions will be made.
Recall that Trump on Wednesday ordered his top officials to begin talks on ending the war.
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