Trump, Putin Agree to Start Ukraine Peace Talks

US President Donald Trump announced that he had a “lengthy and highly productive” phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, during which they agreed to initiate negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump shared the news on his Truth Social platform, stating that both leaders had decided to have their respective teams begin peace talks immediately. Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that he had also spoken with Trump about securing a “lasting, reliable peace.”

However, during the discussions, Trump and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that Ukraine’s NATO membership was unlikely, a stance that Kyiv found deeply disappointing.

On Thursday, Hegseth emphasized that Trump was the “one man in the world” capable of bringing both sides together. He defended the US-led peace initiative, arguing it was “certainly not a betrayal” of Ukrainian soldiers fighting against Russia.

Earlier, Trump wrote on social media: “It is time to stop this ridiculous war, where there has been massive and totally unnecessary death and destruction. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!”

Although Trump did not set a date for a face-to-face meeting with Putin, he later told reporters at the White House that they would meet in Saudi Arabia. He also revealed on social media that he and Putin had invited each other to their respective capitals.

Meanwhile, Zelensky stated he would meet US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a Ukraine-focused defense summit in Munich on Friday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin supported Trump’s initiative and that their phone call lasted nearly 90 minutes. During the discussion, Putin extended an invitation for Trump to visit Moscow.

Addressing reporters at the White House, Trump admitted it was unlikely Ukraine would regain its pre-2014 borders. However, when questioned by the BBC, he remarked, “Some of that land will come back.”

Hegseth reinforced this view at a NATO summit in Brussels on Thursday, arguing that Russia’s invasion had forced NATO to become “strong, robust, and real.” He highlighted the US’s “incredible commitment” to NATO and urged other member states to increase their defense spending. He also noted that no country had demonstrated a stronger commitment to Ukraine than the US.

Meanwhile, seven European countries, including Britain, France, and Germany, issued a joint statement in Paris emphasizing their role in any future Ukraine negotiations. “Our shared objectives should be to put Ukraine in a position of strength,” the statement read. “Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations.” The European leaders also called for strong security guarantees for Ukraine and planned further discussions with US officials.

Zelensky has consistently maintained that “there can be no talks on Ukraine without Ukraine,” but Trump’s direct engagement with Putin suggests otherwise. The Ukrainian president later described his conversation with Trump as a “good and detailed discussion” about their next steps in stopping Russian aggression and ensuring lasting peace. He also met with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Kyiv.

However, not all Ukrainian officials were optimistic. Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik expressed concerns about Trump’s outreach to Putin, warning that it could end the Russian leader’s diplomatic isolation and create a false impression of peace efforts. “How do we know Putin really wants peace? And who will ensure he keeps his part of the bargain?” she asked.

When asked whether Ukraine might concede territory to Russia in a peace settlement, Rudik firmly rejected the idea. “We will not give up our territories. However, as President Zelensky said, we may delay our goal to regain them.”

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Zelensky proposed a possible territorial exchange, suggesting that Ukrainian-held areas in Russia’s western Kursk region could be swapped for Russian-held parts of Ukraine. However, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov dismissed the idea as “impossible,” stating that Russia “has never discussed and will not discuss the exchange of its territory.”

Zelensky also emphasized that any future security guarantees for Ukraine must involve the US. “Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees,” he insisted.

Meanwhile, Trump suggested that Ukraine should hold elections at some point, a reference to the expiration of Zelensky’s presidential term in May 2024. However, Zelensky has ruled out elections due to Russia’s ongoing invasion and martial law in Ukraine.

Fighting between Russia and Ukraine has continued. Overnight, Ukraine’s air force reported 140 drone attacks in Odesa and Kharkiv, shooting down 85 drones. Moscow, which annexed Crimea in 2014, has since taken control of about 20% of Ukraine’s territory in the east and south, while Ukrainian forces continue their counteroffensive.

Casualty figures remain uncertain, but estimates suggest hundreds of thousands have been killed or injured. Millions of Ukrainian civilians have fled as refugees, and both sides continue their military campaigns, making the road to peace a long and uncertain one.

Source: BBC