You must have a seat at the table.
On concluding nearly a three-year Ukraine conflict, in his initial publicly declared phone call with Putin since taking office.
For Ukraine peace talks, a remarkable easing of tensions that raised concerns that Kyiv would be excluded from the negotiations.
's protective umbrella.
Scheduled to take place ahead of a meeting with his NATO counterparts in Brussels.
'That will necessitate both parties acknowledging things they'd rather not accept.'
's input.
We've seen the statements from President Trump overnight and we all want to see a lasting peace and no return to conflict and aggression – and let's not forget, Russia remains a threat far beyond Ukraine.
My message in these discussions will be that there can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine, and Ukraine's voice must be at the center of any talks.
Ukrainians are fighting valiantly. It is our responsibility. It is our responsibility as defense ministers here at NATO, to place them in the best position to secure a lasting peace through military prowess.
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Bottles of vodka were being consumed straight from the Kremlin tonight, according to John Bolton, former national security adviser to Trump. 'It was a great day for Moscow,' he said to CNN.
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It's a truly groundbreaking method of negotiation to make very significant concessions before negotiations even begin," he said. "Not even Chamberlain reached that level of conciliation in 1938. That Munich agreement ultimately ended very poorly.
Trump, who has been urging a swift end to the conflict, has denied that Ukraine is being left out of direct negotiations between the two nuclear-armed superpowers.
The Kremlin stated that the discussion with Putin lasted almost one and a half hours and that both leaders concurred that the time has come to work together.
Following his conversation with Putin, the US President then telephoned Zelensky and briefed him on the details of his discussion with the Kremlin leader.
Ukrainian President Zelensky is scheduled to meet US Vice President JD Vance at a security conference in Munich on Friday to begin negotiations.
It will be the latest in a flurry of high-level meetings following US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's discussions in Kyiv on Wednesday regarding US access to Ukraine's rare earth deposits in exchange for security assistance.
Trump's overtures to Putin were anticipated, but the speed of his peace initiative has taken many by surprise, coming as it does after three years of unwavering Western backing for Ukraine.
Western allies of Ukraine are concerned that Trump's influence could pressure Ukraine into accepting a subpar peace agreement, leaving them vulnerable to an empowered Putin, while bearing the bulk of the financial burden for post-conflict security.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected any 'dictated peace' and his defence minister said it was 'regrettable' that Washington was already making 'concessions' to the Kremlin.
"I believe it would have been more beneficial to discuss the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO or potential territorial losses at the negotiating table," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated.
Hegseth on Wednesday outlined a series of US expectations to bring an end to the conflict, stating it was not feasible for Ukraine to reclaim all of its territory or become a NATO member.
He also stated that Europe should now provide the "overwhelming share" of assistance to Ukraine, and that the United States would not deploy troops as a security guarantee under any agreement.
Yesterday, the foreign ministers of major European powers such as Germany, France, Poland and Britain stated: "Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations."
Throughout Russia's all-out war in Ukraine since 2022, it has been a recurring theme for Western powers that no decisions regarding Ukraine's future should be made without Kyiv's input or agreement.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte emphasized on Thursday that it is essential for Kyiv to be "closely involved" in any discussions concerning the situation in Ukraine.
Rutte emphasized that any potential peace agreement had to be 'sustainable', referencing earlier statements made by Hegseth.
China, a country allied with Russia, expressed "happiness" at seeing the United States and Russia "strengthen their communication".
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