Trump And Hegseth Rule Out Ukraine Joining NATO, Alex Vindman Is BIG Mad: Cry Harder

Posted • February 12, 2025: Pete Hegseth made his first visit to NATO headquarters as Defense Secretary and delivered some strong remarks regarding the Russia-Ukraine war and what conditions the United States would support -- and would NOT accept --as part of any negotiated settlement to end the war. His key points included: • No NATO membership for Ukraine, • Europe must commit peacekeeping forces to Ukraine, • That security force should NOT be considered part of a NATO mission, and, perhaps most importantly, • NO United States troops will be deployed to Ukraine. 🚨 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirms that Ukraine will NOT be invited into NATO and that there will be no US troops in Ukraine as part of any negotiated settlement. Good! All of this is common sense, something the United States, our State Department, and our Defense Department were noticeably lacking for the entire Biden administration.

To be fair, Joe Biden never made any commitments about U.S. troops to Ukraine either, but he sure loved playing footsie with Volodomyr Zalensky, who repeatedly hinted that American forces would be required. More shamefully, Biden and his foreign policy team ALWAYS wanted Ukraine in NATO, so much so that it was one of the key factors that drove Russia to invade in the first place. And even after the war began, Biden in 2023 spoke of Ukraine joining NATO, and just last year, his Secretary of State Antony Blinken said unequivocally that Ukraine WILL join NATO. Umm … why? Even leaving aside the antagonism toward Russia, what benefit does Ukraine bring to NATO? Other than to satisfy neo-con warmongers like Bill Kristol, that is. Speaking of whom, in an effort to show everyone how much he loves sending other people's children off to war, this is how Kristol reacted today to Hegseth's announcement:

Bill Kristol @BillKristol: “Putin began the all-out war on Ukraine almost three years ago. I very much hope I'm wrong, but I'm very worried that Trump has begun the all-out betrayal of Ukraine today.” —— Putin began his war in part because of people like Kristol controlling foreign policy. So, no. Americans are not interested in what he might consider a 'betrayal.' But as bad as he is, no one is as cringeworthy and filled with Trump Derangement Syndrome as Chow Thief Alex Vindman, who went on Twitter to talk about Trump and the people in his second administration being 'Putin Puppets.' Alexander S. Vindman 🇺🇸 @AVindman: “Quietly, Hegseth announces a major policy change, ruling out Ukraine joining NATO. This is a complete capitulation to Putin, justifying his wars of aggression starting with Georgia in 2008. This will embolden Putin and undermine the interests of peace in Ukraine and Europe. A major blow to U.S. national security.”

He then added a reply trying to sell his book that no one read or wants to read. Alexander S. Vindman 🇺🇸 @AVindman: “This is a capitulation to a Russian sphere of influence in the worst tradition of what I cover in book “The Folly of Realism” a “Russia First” policy. All the bloodshed from the Orange revolution 2004, Georgia war 2008, and Ukraine War 2014-2025 just to have the U.S. appease Russia. This “Russia First” policy further emboldens Russia. The message is that military aggression works. It puts NATO in the crosshairs and U.S. troops in harms way.” —— We notice he left out Russia's invasion of Crimea from that list (and probably from his book). Because the President who enabled and completely capitulated to that invasion isn't part of his narrative. "This will retroactively justify a 16-year old war" do you people hear yourselves? They do not, in fact, hear themselves. Also, how is this a 'quiet' change when Hegseth is announcing it publicly to all of NATO and the world? (…)

• More at: Twitchy - Cry Harder: Alex Vindman Is BIG Mad That Trump and Hegseth Rule Out Ukraine Joining NATO
https://twitchy.com/grateful-calvin/2025/02/12/cry-harder-alex-vindman-is-big-mad-that-trump-and-hegseth-rule-out-ukraine-joining-nato-n2408219