Ukraine's belongs in NATO, ‘will take some time': UK defense secretary

Ukraine's place is in NATO but it "will take some time," the UK defense secretary said Wednesday.

"We as NATO alliance … have always been clear that Ukraine's rightful place is in NATO. That is a process that will take some time, and for now … the duty of the nations around that table is to make sure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position going into any talks in the future," John Healey said at a news conference following a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) in Brussels.

In a separate news conference earlier, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said, "The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement."

"Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering," he added.

Noting that 2025 will be a "critical year for the war in Ukraine," Healey said Russia is "still ruthless" and "still dangerous."

He noted that NATO allies pledged €40 billion ($41.6 billion) in military aid for Ukraine in 2024 and delivered €50 billion.

"The majority, nearly 60% of that aid to Ukraine last year, came from European nations," he said.

Healey added that European allies "heard" the US' "call for European nations to step up," and are committed to doing it.

He emphasized that "Ukraine's security matters to global security."

"That is why the UDCG is an international coalition that stretches beyond Europe through to the Indo-Pacific, to South America, and to the Middle East, because this was never a war about the fate of just one nation, Healey said.

"When the border of one country is redrawn by force, it undermines the security of all nations. And if aggression goes unchecked on one continent, it emboldens regimes on other continents," he added.