U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that Ukraine will participate in peace talks with Russia. However, during a security conference on Friday, Ukraine declared that it is not yet the right time to engage in discussions with Moscow, according to a report by British news agency Reuters.
Speaking to journalists at the White House, Trump said that Ukraine’s participation in peace talks with Russia would be ensured. He stated, “Ukraine will take part. We will bring Ukraine and Russia together for discussions, and many other countries will also be involved.”
When asked whether he trusts Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump responded, “I think he wants to see something happen. In that regard, I trust him.”
Trump further mentioned that U.S. and Russian officials would meet on Friday in Munich, and Ukraine has also been invited. However, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that there is no possibility of talks with Russia at the annual Munich Security Conference on Friday. According to him, before engaging in negotiations with Moscow, there must be a unified stance between the United States, Europe, and Ukraine.
Trump also informed reporters that a meeting between senior officials from three countries (though not at the leadership level) might take place next week in Saudi Arabia, aiming for a ceasefire. On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the need for bold diplomacy to achieve a ceasefire with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha over the phone, according to the U.S. State Department.
Russia’s financial markets and the value of Ukraine’s debt have risen as discussions for a ceasefire in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II are set to begin. However, Trump’s unilateral initiative and his perceived willingness to compromise on Ukraine’s key demands have raised concerns among Kyiv and NATO’s European allies. They fear that the White House might make a deal excluding them. Zelensky has stated, “As an independent country, we will not accept any agreement made without us.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Ukraine will have to participate in peace talks in some form, but bilateral discussions between the United States and Russia will also continue. According to Reuters, the United Arab Emirates is also interested in hosting Ukraine ceasefire negotiations.
European officials have taken a tough stance against Trump’s peace initiative. They stated that no agreement can be implemented without the participation of Ukraine and its European allies. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that any rushed settlement would be a “dirty deal.”
Criticizing Trump’s pre-approved concessions, she remarked, “Why are we giving Russia everything they want even before the talks begin?”
A European diplomatic source stated that ministers have agreed to meet with U.S. officials at the Munich conference starting on Friday.
On Wednesday, Trump had a phone conversation with Putin for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He later also spoke with Zelensky. Trump claimed that he believes both leaders want peace. However, for the first time, the Trump administration openly acknowledged that it would be unrealistic for Ukraine to return to its pre-2014 borders or join NATO. Additionally, if a security force is established in Ukraine to ensure a ceasefire, American troops will not be involved.
However, on Thursday, a senior U.S. official stated that Ukraine’s NATO membership or a return to its pre-2014 borders had not been entirely ruled out, contradicting previous statements. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remarked, “The world is fortunate that someone like Trump, the best negotiator in the world, is bringing both sides together for peace talks.”
Kremlin spokesperson Peskov said that Moscow is encouraged by Trump’s willingness to resolve the crisis. In 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula and took control of some eastern Ukrainian territories. Following its full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia occupied additional regions in eastern and southern Ukraine. In response, Ukraine pushed Russian forces back from the outskirts of Kyiv and reclaimed some territory. However, after Ukraine’s failed counteroffensive in 2023, Russia has gradually gained control over more regions.
Thousands of soldiers on both sides have been killed or injured in this war, and Ukrainian cities have been reduced to ruins. The positions of both sides remain unchanged. Moscow wants Ukraine to remain permanently neutral under any peace agreement. On the other hand, Kyiv insists that Russian troops must withdraw and that Ukraine must receive NATO-like security guarantees to prevent future attacks.
Ukrainian officials have previously admitted that NATO membership may not be achievable in the short term and that a peace agreement might require some occupied territories to remain under Russian control. However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha has reaffirmed that Ukraine is committed to joining NATO, which he describes as the easiest and most cost-effective way for Western nations to ensure peace.
Miroslava Lesko, a resident of Kyiv, commented, “It truly seems like they want Ukraine to surrender because I don’t see any benefit for our country in these discussions or in Trump’s statements.” However, after three years of war, many Ukrainians are exhausted and willing to compromise on some objectives to achieve peace.
Timofiy Milovanov, President of the Kyiv School of Economics, noted the difference between Biden and Trump, stating, “Trump is openly saying what Biden used to think and do regarding Ukraine.”