President Donald Trump has stated that it is not practical for Ukraine to join NATO and that reclaiming all its lost territory is unlikely. His remarks followed separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking his first major step in addressing the conflict.
Trump described his conversation with Putin as positive and hinted at a possible meeting in Saudi Arabia. The Kremlin confirmed plans for a future meeting and even extended an invitation for Trump to visit Moscow.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is unrealistic and warned that attempting to do so would only prolong the war. He reaffirmed that Trump opposes Ukraine’s NATO membership and expects Europe to take greater responsibility for supporting Ukraine while the U.S. shifts focus to domestic security and China.
These statements signal a significant shift in U.S. policy, prioritizing diplomatic negotiations over military escalation and urging Europe to play a bigger role in Ukraine’s defense.
