U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to start negotiating peace in Ukraine. But what does that mean for Ukraine?
President Trump spoke with Putin on Wednesday. This followed a surprise prisoner swap, with Russia releasing American history teacher Marc Fogel. The leaders’ talk covered many subjects, including the Middle East and Iran. But mostly, it focused on Ukraine.
“I think President Putin wants peace and President Zelenskyy wants peace and I want peace,” says President Trump. “I just want to see people stop being killed.”
But where was Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in these discussions? It appears he wasn’t involved. President Trump called Zelenskyy after talking to Putin. But he made no promises about Ukraine’s involvement.
This seems to go against the U.S. stance of the last three years: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.
NATO leaders also expressed concerns about Europe’s lack of involvement.
“For me, it’s clear . . . that Europe must be involved in the negotiations,” says German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. Europe “will have to live directly” with the consequences. Many NATO countries border Russia and Ukraine.
Zelenskyy expressed thankfulness to President Trump. Ukraine has made offers for continued U.S. military support. This includes providing the United States with rare earth metals, oil, and gas. But the current direction of peace talks spells disappointment for Ukraine.
On Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the Trump administration’s first visit to NATO. He gave a clearer picture of what a peace deal might look like. Ukraine has long sought to join NATO—a membership that would guarantee military protection. Hegseth calls that hope unrealistic. He also says Ukraine shouldn’t expect the return of the four regions annexed by Russia’s military.
This sounds much like the sort of deal Putin demands. To date, he has refused peace talks unless Ukraine gives up attempts to join NATO and removes troops from Russia-annexed regions.
Such a deal may achieve peace. But the peace would come at a cost. It would essentially mean letting Russia get away with taking Ukraine’s land by force. This would “entrench the law of the strongest,” says French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. “It would be an invitation to all the world’s tyrants and despots to invade their neighbors with complete impunity.” But it could also stop the war—and the deaths that come with it.
Would a deal made without Ukraine stop the fighting and save lives? Or would it open the door for more war and tyranny? That’s the tough question with which world leaders now wrestle.
