US President Donald Trump announced the immediate start of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine after what he described as a “long and very productive” conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The news of the agreement caused a storm of reactions in the international community, and most of all shocked Ukraine’s European allies.
Trump, in a post on his social network Truth Social, noted that during the conversation, which lasted an hour and a half, he and Putin discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, and cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence. The key point of the conversation was reaching a peace agreement to end the conflict in Ukraine, which, according to Trump, has already claimed millions of lives.
After talking with Putin, Trump also had a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader described the conversation as “long and significant”, emphasizing Ukraine’s readiness for cooperation.
“Ukraine wants peace more than anyone. We are defining joint steps with America to stop Russian aggression and ensure lasting, reliable peace,” Zelensky said. While maintaining a diplomatic tone, he made it clear that Ukraine would not give up on its key goals, including the return of territory lost since 2014.
–Baerbock: Europe must be included in Ukraine talks-
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Thursday that Ukraine and Europe must be included in peace talks on Ukraine, after the US and Russian presidents discussed the conflict.
“We cannot have talks without Ukraine being included. Peace in Europe is at risk, that’s why we Europeans must be included,” Baerbock said in an interview with German radio Deutschlandfunk, Reuters reports.
US President Donald Trump discussed the war in Ukraine in phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday.
The German foreign minister said she was not informed in advance about the talks.
“That’s how the Trump administration works. That’s why constant mutual communication with different players is necessary. It is also different from other times. This is not how others conduct foreign policy,” but this is the reality now, Baerbock said.
One of the two leaders of Germany’s ruling Social Democrats told Reuters on Thursday that Europe and Germany must take on more responsibility.
“What is needed now is a quick and firm signal, as well as an offer to the United States,” Lars Klingbeil said.
–NATO chief: Ukraine must be closely involved in possible talks–
Ukraine must be closely involved in possible talks, NATO’s chief said on Thursday.
“It is crucial that Ukraine is closely involved in everything that is happening around Ukraine,” Secretary-General Mark Rutte told reporters ahead of a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels.
The NATO chief stressed that the outcome of possible talks must be durable to prevent future aggression.
The ministers will also discuss military spending, Rutte said, adding: “We are not producing enough, and that is a collective problem.”
“We need to spend more, not only because the United States expects it, but also because we know that the threat from Russia and other adversaries is increasing,” Rutte stressed.
–Medvedev claims US-Russian talks are very important after years of silence–
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev stressed the importance of the recent talks between the Russian and US presidents today, calling them a key step after years of diplomatic silence, Anadolu reported.
“The presidents of Russia and the US have finally spoken. This is very important in itself. The previous US administration broke off all high-level contacts in an attempt to punish and humiliate Russia. As a result, the world was teetering on the brink of apocalypse,” Medvedev said.
US President Donald Trump said last night, after talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, that they had agreed to immediately begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office that he and Putin could meet in Saudi Arabia.
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, and there have been no phone calls since then between Putin and former US President Joe Biden, who, along with Europe, has been supporting Kiev economically, humanitarianly and militarily.
The phone call came after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that a return to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders, when Russia annexed Crimea, was unrealistic and that the US did not see Ukraine’s membership in NATO as part of a negotiated solution to end the conflict.
Medvedev accused the US of acting as a dominant world power, imposing sanctions and engaging in what he described as a hybrid war against Russia.
He stressed that previous geopolitical crises had not led to the kind of isolation that has been imposed on Russia in recent years, stressing the importance of dialogue.
“It is true that we have outdone ourselves with America and that we have sometimes danced on the edge, but no one has imposed personal sanctions on Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis or Brezhnev during the conflict in Afghanistan or severed contacts between heads of state. On the contrary, the leaders have kept open lines of communication, which has helped resolve the crises,” Medvedev said.
He warned of the dangers of continuing confrontation, calling for diplomacy instead of political isolation.
“In our small, controversial, but highly interdependent world, there can be no main state or planetary ruler. This is a lesson that the arrogant American elites and the so-called deep state must learn,” Medvedev said.
–Healey: No Ukraine talks without Ukraine-
British Defence Secretary John Healey spoke after a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. Responding to Donald Trump’s statements on the war in Ukraine, Healey said that NATO’s task is to “ensure Ukraine has the strongest possible position in any negotiations”.
“There can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine,” he stressed.
Healey also announced new pledges of support for Ukraine through NATO, including billions of dollars worth of military assistance to Ukrainian forces on the front lines. “We want to see lasting peace and prevent a return to conflict and aggression,” Healey said. “We must not forget that Russia remains a threat beyond Ukraine’s borders.”
–European foreign ministers: Ukraine and Europe must participate in all negotiations-
Leading European powers – including Britain, France and Germany – have said they must have a seat at the negotiating table in any future talks on Ukraine’s future. The joint statement was issued after a meeting of foreign ministers from seven European countries and the European Commission in Paris yesterday.
The full statement reads:
“We stand ready to further strengthen our support for Ukraine. We remain committed to its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression. Our goal is to continue to support Ukraine until a just, comprehensive and lasting peace is achieved – a peace that guarantees Ukraine’s interests, but also our own.
We look forward to working with our American allies in planning the next steps. Our common goal must be to strengthen Ukraine’s position. Ukraine and Europe must participate in any negotiations. Ukraine must receive strong security guarantees. A just and lasting peace in Ukraine is essential for the security of the entire transatlantic area.
We recall that the security of the European continent is our shared responsibility. That is why we are working together to strengthen our defense capabilities.”
