The Trump administration is seeking a Russia-Ukraine peace deal
Image: Brendan Smialowski/AFP
The Trump administration signaled a significant shift in US policy towards Ukraine yesterday.
- In a social media post, President Trump revealed he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to open immediate negotiations on ending the yearslong Russia-Ukraine war following an hour-plus long phone conversation.
- Trump’s announcement came hours after his new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a speech in which he said potential NATO membership for Ukraine is an unrealistic inclusion in any negotiated settlement with Russia, and called the prospect of Ukraine returning to its pre-2014 borders “an unrealistic objective.”
The strategy is changing
The Biden administration had long refused to hold peace talks without Ukraine at the table – something Trump was noncommittal about yesterday.
Biden officials also largely held the view that Ukraine joining NATO was “inevitable” following Russia’s February 2022 invasion, and had pushed for Russia to give back the ~20% of Ukraine that’s been seized in recent years.
Looking ahead…Trump directed VP JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday to start discussing peace talks with Russia. The US president also said he’ll likely soon meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia to discuss a Ukraine peace deal.
🤝 In related news: Ukraine is currently negotiating with the Trump administration over a deal that would grant the US government access to hundreds of billions of dollars worth of rare earth metals located in Ukraine, in exchange for continued military aid for Kyiv in its war against Russia. Over the past three years, America has provided Ukraine with ~$66 billion in military support, though funds have slowed significantly since Trump regained the Oval Office.
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