In a major shift in U.S. foreign policy, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The move follows a sudden prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, marking a potential turning point in the ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n
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Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he spent more than an hour on the phone with Putin, discussing the possibility of a peace settlement. \u201cI think we\u2019re on the way to getting peace,\u201d he stated, adding that he later spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, Trump was noncommittal about whether Ukraine would be treated as an equal participant in these talks.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI think President Putin wants peace, President Zelenskyy wants peace, and I want peace,\u201d Trump told reporters. \u201cI just want to see people stop being killed.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Trump-Putin Talks Raise Concerns Over Ukraine\u2019s Role<\/p>\n
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Trump\u2019s direct outreach to Moscow signals a dramatic policy shift from the previous Biden administration, which had insisted on Ukraine\u2019s full participation in any peace process. When asked whether Kyiv would have an equal role, Trump responded, \u201cInteresting question. I think they have to make peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The president suggested he would \u201cprobably\u201d meet Putin in person soon, potentially in Saudi Arabia, to further discuss a peace framework. The decision to engage with Moscow outside of Ukraine\u2019s leadership has raised concerns about whether Washington is sidelining Kyiv in the process.<\/p>\n
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NATO Membership \u2018Unrealistic\u2019 for Ukraine<\/p>\n
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In another significant policy change, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told NATO officials in Brussels that Ukraine\u2019s membership in the alliance was impractical.<\/p>\n
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Trump echoed that sentiment, saying, \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s practical to have it, personally.\u201d He added that Russia has long opposed Ukraine joining NATO, saying, \u201cThey\u2019ve been saying for a long time that Ukraine cannot go into NATO, and I\u2019m OK with that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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This stance directly contradicts the Biden administration\u2019s previous commitment, which had described Kyiv\u2019s NATO membership as \u201cinevitable\u201d following Russia\u2019s 2022 invasion.<\/p>\n
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Reactions from Zelenskyy and the Kremlin<\/p>\n
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Despite the shift in U.S. policy, Zelenskyy attempted to maintain a positive outlook, calling his conversation with Trump \u201cmeaningful\u201d and saying Ukraine remains ready to work together toward peace. In a social media post, he expressed gratitude toward Trump, despite concerns that Ukraine\u2019s position in the negotiations may be weakened.<\/p>\n
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Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Trump and Putin had discussed a wide range of issues, including the Middle East and Iran, but that Ukraine remained the main focus.<\/p>\n
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\u201cPresident Putin emphasized the need to address the root causes of the conflict,\u201d Peskov said. He also stated that Putin agreed with Trump on the importance of achieving a long-term settlement through peace talks.<\/p>\n
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Peskov revealed that Putin invited Trump to Moscow and expressed Russia\u2019s willingness to host U.S. officials to discuss Ukraine and other \u201cmutual interests.\u201d<\/p>\n
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A New Chapter in U.S.-Russia Relations?<\/p>\n
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Trump\u2019s diplomatic outreach to Russia signals a major departure from past U.S. policies, raising questions about how the conflict in Ukraine will unfold. With NATO distancing itself from Ukrainian membership and direct U.S.-Russia negotiations on the table, the war may be entering a new phase\u2014one where Kyiv\u2019s role in shaping its own future remains uncertain.<\/p>\n
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Whether Trump\u2019s personal engagement with Putin will lead to peace or further geopolitical tensions remains to be seen.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In a major shift in U.S. foreign policy, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The move follows a sudden prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, marking a potential turning point in the ongoing conflict. Speaking<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10487,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_1160854738579181570_1160854738579181570":"","facebook_3558452337540614_100649324928663":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,353],"tags":[285,266,341],"class_list":{"0":"post-10485","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-news","8":"category-war","9":"tag-amnewsworld","10":"tag-reporters","11":"tag-washington"},"yoast_head":"\n