Trump and Putin agree to begin Ukraine peace talks as Europe demands a role

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to initiate negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The decision follows a “lengthy and highly productive” phone call between the two leaders on Wednesday, during which they committed to instructing their respective teams to start talks immediately.

Announcing the development on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared: “It is time to stop this ridiculous war, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, death and destruction. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!” He later told reporters at the White House that a face-to-face meeting with Putin was in the works, stating, “We’ll meet in Saudi Arabia.” Both leaders also extended invitations for visits to each other’s capitals.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the phone call lasted nearly an hour and a half, with Putin expressing support for Trump’s proposal to initiate peace efforts. Putin also invited Trump to Moscow and signalled Russia’s willingness to host American officials for discussions regarding Ukraine’s future.

European leaders insist on involvement
The swift diplomatic developments have unsettled European leaders, who fear being sidelined in crucial talks that will shape the continent’s security. Seven European nations, including Britain, France, and Germany, released a joint statement emphasising the necessity of Europe’s participation in any negotiations.

“Our shared objectives should be to put Ukraine in a position of strength. Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations,” the statement read. It further asserted that strong security guarantees for Ukraine were essential to ensuring lasting peace and a stable transatlantic alliance.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot reinforced this stance, stating, “There will be no just and lasting peace in Ukraine without the participation of Europeans.” Germany’s Annalena Baerbock and Spain’s Jose Manuel Albares Bueno echoed the sentiment, insisting that no decision on Ukraine could be made “without Ukraine.”

US shifts position on Ukraine’s future
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking at a NATO meeting in Brussels, signalled a significant shift in Washington’s approach. He dismissed the idea of Ukraine reclaiming its pre-2014 borders as “unrealistic” and ruled out NATO membership for Kyiv as a viable outcome of the war. “Chasing this illusory goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,” Hegseth warned.

Instead, he suggested that peace would need to be secured by “capable European and non-European troops,” while making it clear that the US would not commit its own forces. Any British or European deployment in Ukraine, he added, would not be covered under NATO’s Article 5 guarantee, meaning they would rely solely on support from participating states.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey responded by affirming Britain’s commitment, stating, “We are and we will [step up].” Following a meeting with Hegseth, he announced the UK’s plan to allocate £4.5 billion in military aid for Ukraine this year.

Zelenskyy’s response
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed he had also spoken with Trump, describing their conversation as “good and detailed.” He stressed the importance of maintaining US involvement in any security arrangements for Ukraine, saying, “Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees.”

Zelenskyy has previously suggested that, in a potential peace agreement, Russian-held Ukrainian territory could be swapped for Ukrainian-held Russian territory in the western Kursk region. However, the Kremlin swiftly dismissed this idea, with Peskov stating, “Russia has never discussed and will not discuss the exchange of its territory. Ukrainian units will be expelled from this territory. All who are not destroyed will be expelled.”

A contentious path to peace
The Biden administration’s policy had been more aligned with Kyiv, but the new US stance under Trump appears to favour a swift resolution with significant concessions to Russia. European officials have privately expressed concerns that this approach could embolden Moscow to demand even more in negotiations.

One senior European diplomat described the US position as “a premature surrender,” questioning what would be left for Ukraine to negotiate. Another diplomat warned that offering early concessions could encourage Russia to escalate its demands further.

As NATO leaders prepare to meet in Munich this weekend, discussions are expected to centre on the next steps in the peace process and the broader implications of Trump’s diplomatic manoeuvring. Meanwhile, Ukraine faces an uncertain future, with international negotiations now shaping its fate from multiple angles.