Trump Says He Talked with Putin About Ending Ukraine War
(Based on reporting by Reuters)
U.S. President Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday about starting talks to end the war in Ukraine. Trump shared this news on his social media platform, saying they agreed to have their teams begin negotiations right away. He also said he would call Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy to update him on the discussion.
The Kremlin confirmed the call, saying Putin and Trump talked for almost an hour and a half and agreed to meet in person. Trump has often claimed he could quickly end the Ukraine war, though he hasn’t explained how.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump’s Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, made a strong statement about the U.S. position on the war. Speaking at a NATO meeting in Brussels, Hegseth said trying to return Ukraine to its pre-2014 borders (before Russia took Crimea) is unrealistic. He warned that chasing this goal would only make the war longer and cause more suffering.
Hegseth also said the U.S. doesn’t see NATO membership for Ukraine as part of the solution. Instead, the U.S. wants a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine but believes the focus should be on realistic goals.
This statement marks a shift in the U.S. approach to the nearly three-year-old war. While Ukraine and its allies want to reclaim lost territory, the U.S. seems to be pushing for a more practical solution to end the conflict.
(This summary is based on original reporting by Reuters.)