Russia first invaded Crimea, a peninsula on Ukraine's Black Sea coastline, in 2014 before launching its wider invasion nearly three years ago in February of 2022. "Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders was unrealistic and the Trump administration does not see NATO membership for Kyiv as part of a solution to the war triggered by Russia's invasion.

Defense Secretary Hegseth said it was “unrealistic” to aim for a return to Ukraine’s borders as they were before 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea.