In contrast, the new Trump administration appears to have largely relinquished its negotiating power over Russia on its own accord. During a speech at NATO headquarters on February 12, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the U.S. would not endorse NATO membership for Ukraine or deploy peacekeeping troops, emphasizing that the nation would not revert to its pre-2014 borders following Moscow’s initial assault.
On Wednesday, European leaders distanced themselves from Trump’s remarks. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius declared that “the Americans made a mistake,” while Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard stressed that Europe must avoid falling into a trap set by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy comes in the wake of U.S. and Russian officials convening for discussions in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, marking the first high-level talks between the two nations since Russia’s comprehensive invasion of Ukraine commenced in 2022. It is noteworthy that Ukraine was not invited to the discussions.
Both Washington and Moscow have revealed that a potential face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin could occur before February concludes.
