Jonathan Beale

administration has set preconditions on Ukraine, that it can't, for example, join NATO, they don't believe, that they should not expect a return of all the territory they've lost to Russia, that there will not be U.S. boots on the ground if there is some kind of ceasefire in which it needs to be policed. That will not involve the U.S., no security guarantees required. on that front.

administration has set preconditions on Ukraine, that it can't, for example, join NATO, they don't believe, that they should not expect a return of all the territory they've lost to Russia, that there will not be U.S. boots on the ground if there is some kind of ceasefire in which it needs to be policed. That will not involve the U.S., no security guarantees required. on that front.

We haven't heard any same preconditions given to Moscow. And, you know, what's happened here over the last few years, as far as NATO is concerned, is most NATO countries have isolated President Putin and Donald Trump has, in effect, rehabilitated, to some extent, President Putin by this phone call and by this meeting. And the question still is,

We haven't heard any same preconditions given to Moscow. And, you know, what's happened here over the last few years, as far as NATO is concerned, is most NATO countries have isolated President Putin and Donald Trump has, in effect, rehabilitated, to some extent, President Putin by this phone call and by this meeting. And the question still is,

We haven't heard any same preconditions given to Moscow. And, you know, what's happened here over the last few years, as far as NATO is concerned, is most NATO countries have isolated President Putin and Donald Trump has, in effect, rehabilitated, to some extent, President Putin by this phone call and by this meeting. And the question still is,

The insistence here from NATO headquarters is that it must involve Ukraine. But at the moment, both NATO and Ukraine are on the sidelines.

The insistence here from NATO headquarters is that it must involve Ukraine. But at the moment, both NATO and Ukraine are on the sidelines.

The insistence here from NATO headquarters is that it must involve Ukraine. But at the moment, both NATO and Ukraine are on the sidelines.

You know, Mark Rutter has a difficult job trying to hold this 32-member alliance together. And he knows that to build bridges with the Trump administration, he is going to have to persuade allies to increase defence spending, particularly European allies. Now, they have actually increased defence spending overall with more countries, the majority now spending at least 2%.

You know, Mark Rutter has a difficult job trying to hold this 32-member alliance together. And he knows that to build bridges with the Trump administration, he is going to have to persuade allies to increase defence spending, particularly European allies. Now, they have actually increased defence spending overall with more countries, the majority now spending at least 2%.

You know, Mark Rutter has a difficult job trying to hold this 32-member alliance together. And he knows that to build bridges with the Trump administration, he is going to have to persuade allies to increase defence spending, particularly European allies. Now, they have actually increased defence spending overall with more countries, the majority now spending at least 2%.

But Donald Trump wants them to spend 5%. That's going to be a much harder task. But he He needs to build bridges and he sees that as a way of doing it. But to expect countries to come up with 5% I think is unrealistic. That is not going to happen. But he is trying to push them further in how much they spend on defence and also how much support they give to Ukraine.

But Donald Trump wants them to spend 5%. That's going to be a much harder task. But he He needs to build bridges and he sees that as a way of doing it. But to expect countries to come up with 5% I think is unrealistic. That is not going to happen. But he is trying to push them further in how much they spend on defence and also how much support they give to Ukraine.

But Donald Trump wants them to spend 5%. That's going to be a much harder task. But he He needs to build bridges and he sees that as a way of doing it. But to expect countries to come up with 5% I think is unrealistic. That is not going to happen. But he is trying to push them further in how much they spend on defence and also how much support they give to Ukraine.

But they are not at the moment, NATO, in the driving seat.

But they are not at the moment, NATO, in the driving seat.

But they are not at the moment, NATO, in the driving seat.

The direction of travel was known as far as the new Trump administration on Ukraine, that he said he wanted to end the war, that he wanted a negotiated settlement with Russia, he wanted the killing to be stopped. I think everybody knew also that even the last Biden administration was not enthusiastic about NATO membership. But I think it's all together.

The direction of travel was known as far as the new Trump administration on Ukraine, that he said he wanted to end the war, that he wanted a negotiated settlement with Russia, he wanted the killing to be stopped. I think everybody knew also that even the last Biden administration was not enthusiastic about NATO membership. But I think it's all together.

It's the most explicit statement by the US Defence Secretary, Peter Hegseth, on US policy towards Ukraine under this new administration. And that is not just explicitly stating no NATO membership, but also that Ukraine will not regain all the territory it has lost to Russia. And also saying that America is a limit to how much