Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday clarified some of his comments from Wednesday that claimed Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was "unrealistic," stating instead that "everything is on the table."

Hegseth made the initial comment during a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, clearly stating that the U.S. "does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement," in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. 

The comment provoked outcry from Ukraine supporters, who suggested that the Trump administration was trying to weaken Ukraine before the countries even began negotiations. The secretary clarified the statements Thursday.

“I want to be clear about something as it pertains to NATO membership not being a realistic outcome for negotiations," Hegseth said, per The Hill. "These negotiations are led by President [Donald] Trump. Everything is on the table. 

"In his conversations with [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky, what he decides to allow or not allow is at the purview of the leader of the free world — President Trump," he added.

Hegseth also rejected the criticism by pointing out that addressing the "reality" of a situation is not making concessions.

“I think realism is an important part of the conversation that hasn’t existed enough inside conversations amongst friends,” he said. “But simply pointing out realism — like the borders won’t be rolled back to what everybody would like them to be in 2014 — is not a concession to Vladimir Putin. It’s a recognition of the hard power realities on the ground after a lot of investment and sacrifice."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.