Peace in Ukraine Serves US National Interests – Pentagon Chief
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting with El Salvador’s Minister of National Defense Rene Merino Monroy at the Pentagon, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in Washington
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Achieving peace in Ukraine would serve the national interests of the United States and both parties to the conflict, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday. “We’ve said time and time again, this President [Donald Trump] is committed to peace in that conflict. Ultimately, peace serves our national interests, and we think the interest of both parties, even if that outcome will not be preferable to many in this room and many in our country,” Hegseth said in a testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee. Although the US “applauds” the efforts of the Ukrainians on the battlefield, it is important to stop the violence and the killings, which is possible through achieving a negotiated peace, the defense secretary added. Hegseth said that the policy of the previous US administration has driven Russia and China closer together. He also claimed that Beijing would “prefer a prolonged conflict” between Russia and Ukraine that would keep the US “tied down.”
WorldUS Says Russia-Ukraine Peace Terms Up to Them, But Acknowledges Own Conditions31 May, 17:58 GMT
