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The United States President Donald Trump has made telephone conversations on Wednesday with Russian and Ukrainian leaders, as his administration is being put into what he claims to be a roadmap to end the war in Ukraine.
Negotiations to end the conflict – one of Trump's key promises – must start “immediately,” the US president said between the talks.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defense of Trump, Pete Heget, has provided the most detailed outlines so far in the position of the administration on key questions in the war, from NATO's aspirations of Ukraine to its territorial goals.
Here is a breakdown of the new US approach to the conflict:
How did Trump call with Putin go?
Trump said A 1.5-hour call It was “highly productive” and that Russian President Vladimir Putin shared his goal of ending the war.
“As we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths that are happening in the war with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump wrote in a publication on his social account of the truth. “President Putin even used my very strong motto on the common sense campaign. We both believe very much in it. “
Trump later said he and Putin plan to meet face to face, probably in Saudi Arabia, “in the not too distant future.”
Julia Shapovalava from Al Jazeera, reporting from Moscow, said the call of Trump-Putin inspired hope for many Russians. “They see that Trump is actively trying to keep his promise to end the war in Ukraine,” Shapovalava said. “But there is still a long way before a turning point in relationships.”
How did Trump call with Zelenski go?
This conversation also went “very well”, according to Trump, who added that Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski wanted to “make peace”.
Recovering the call, Zelenski said that he and Trump had a “very essential” discussion on economic and military affairs, including the use of Ukraine drones. He also said that Trump updated him on his more call with Putin.
“We define our joint steps with America to stop Russian aggression and guarantee a reliable, lasting peace,” Zelenski said. “As President Trump said, 'Let's do it. “
Later, however, Trump threw water on some of the main goals of Zelenski, Press This is unlikely to win the entire territory that Russia seized from it or joined the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Are there more details about Trump's vision to end the war?
Yes, US Secretary of Defense Pete Heget gave a more in -depth examination until I met with Ukraine's military allies in BrusselsS He covered the administration's views on the future boundaries of Ukraine and the assurances of defense.
Heget claims Trump's position is based on a clear view of the front lines where Russia has largely been acquisition. The United States, he clarified, focused on his homeland and the Asia -Tihoetan region, which meant scales back to Europe.
“We will only end this devastating war – and we will establish a lasting peace – by connecting the Allied forces with a realistic battlefield evaluation,” Heget told colleagues from the Ukrainian defense group, a coalition of 57 countries, military support by Ukraine, On Wednesday.
Will Ukraine join NATO?
According to the US, no. Heget said the United States “does not believe that NATO's membership is a realistic result of an agreed agreement.”
Even Zelensky seems to have admitted that joining the defense block can be out of the table, offering Plan B to protect Ukraine in an interview with The Economist. If Ukraine does not become a NATO member, Zelenski told the publication, she must accumulate an equal size army of Russia.
“We need weapons and money for all this. And we will ask the US for that, “Zelenski said.
However, Sweden's Defense Minister said on Thursday that NATO still has to be opened to Ukraine in the future if it meets its conditions.
How about the recovery of the territory?
It depends. While Ukraine can be able to restore part of its territory through negotiations, it should not expect to return to its borders before 2014, when Russia annexed the Eastern Crimea Peninsula, Trump told reporters later on Wednesday.
Russia “took a lot of land and they fought for this land and they lost many soldiers,” Trump said.
Hegt, outlining this perspective in Brussels earlier, said the pursuit of the “illusory goal” for recovering before 2014. Ukraine “will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.”
This marks a sharp contrast with the previous US administration under Joe Biden, which provided tens of billions of dollars of military assistance to Ukraine and promised to support the country. “As long as it takes“To fight the invasion of Russia.
Zelenski of Ukraine, which has long excluded giving way to every territory of Russia, seems to be quietly adapted to the shifting American position.
In November, Zelenski said Ukraine was ready to “return Crimea diplomatic” – potentially hinting at the acceptance of factual Russian control over the territory, though not officially. Zelenskyy also recently offered to “exchange land” with Russia, with the Ukrainian forces currently holding parts of the Western Kursk region in Russia.
However, the Kremlin has reject such swap as “impossible”.
What will be Ukraine's security guarantees?
Whatever they are, they will not include American troops on Earth, Heget said.
Instead, he said, Ukraine's security must be protected by “capable European and non -European troops.”
If these troops are located as peacekeepers, he added, they should not be related to NATO.
Kayer Jiles, a senior consulting contributor to London -based cerebral trust at Chatham House, told Al Jazeera that this “effectively excludes … reliable security guarantees” either from the United States or the United States.
Heget also called on NATO allies to bear more than the weight of financial defense, including reducing their defense costs by 2 percent to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
“Europe must provide a huge share of future deadly and non -alleged help for Ukraine,” Heget said.
What is next?
The next big event to be careful about is the Munich Security Conference since Friday, where the war in Ukraine is expected to head the agenda.
Zelenski and other senior Ukrainian officials will meet with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the event.
Keith Kelloge, Trump's Messenger for Russia, who will also attend, noted: “When we return from Munich, we want to hand over to the president the options so that when he joins (directly) in the peace process, he knows what it will look like for him S “
There is currently noise of diplomatic actions – and the pronouncements of us, Russian and Ukrainian leaders – probably “the process of finding a decision to temporarily end the fire or pause of the active war” in Ukraine, Maria Zolkana, Head of Regional Security and Conflict Studies The Democratic Initiatives Foundation, Al Jazeera said.
However, Giles suggested that the likelihood of any retention of a truce was doubtful. The promises of peace “achieved through the reward of an aggressor do not cost a little when they are held against Russia's current preparations for a more war,” he said.
