President Donald Trump altered three years of American policy regarding Ukraine on Wednesday, announcing that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had reached an agreement to initiate discussions aimed at concluding the conflict, following an unexpected exchange of prisoners.
Trump indicated that he engaged in a conversation with Putin lasting over an hour, expressing optimism by stating, "I think we’re on the way to getting peace." He also mentioned a subsequent discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, although he refrained from confirming whether Ukraine would have an equal role in the U.S. negotiations with Russia.
“I think President Putin wants peace and President Zelenskyy wants peace and I want peace," Trump said to the reporters in the Oval Office. “I just want to see people stop being killed.”
Trump said that of his conversation with Putin, “People didn’t really know what President Putin’s thoughts were. But I think I can say with great confidence, he wants to see it ended also, so that’s good — and we’re going to work toward getting it ended and as fast as possible.”
Trump indicated that he would "Probably" meet with Putin in the near future, with the possibility of this meeting taking place in Saudi Arabia.
Trump's communication with Putin may signal a significant shift, suggesting that Washington and Moscow could collaborate to negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine, potentially bypassing the Ukrainian government. This approach would diverge from the Biden administration's position, which has maintained that Kyiv must be fully involved in any negotiations.
When asked about Ukraine's role as an equal participant in the peace process, Trump remarked, “Interesting question. I think they have to make peace."
In a further setback to Ukraine's aspirations for closer ties with the West, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated at NATO headquarters in Brussels that NATO membership for Ukraine is not a realistic prospect.
Trump expressed his skepticism regarding Ukraine's NATO membership, stating, "I don’t think it’s practical to have it, personally," He referenced Hegseth's assertion that such membership is "unlikely or impractical," agreeing that this perspective is likely accurate.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Biden administration, along with other NATO allies, declared that Ukraine's accession to the military alliance was "inevitable."
On Wednesday, Trump commented on Russia's stance, noting, "I think long before President Putin, they said there’s no way they’d allow that.”
He further remarked, "They’ve been saying that for a long time that Ukraine cannot go into NATO, and I’m OK with that.”
