Trump: Ukraine will have seat at table in peace talks with Russia
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump assured that Ukraine will participate in negotiations with Russia to end the war. He also expressed his desire to bring Russia back into the G7, according to Sky News and CBS News correspondent Jennifer Jacobs on X.
Trump told reporters that he would like to bring Russia back into the G7, effectively restoring the G8 format. He called Russia’s exclusion after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 a mistake.
The US President also noted that new trade tariffs, including those on cars, could take effect in April.
When asked whether Ukraine would have a seat at the negotiating table, Trump responded, "Yes, of course."
Additionally, Trump stated that he trusts Putin on the issue of the war in Ukraine and that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comment that Ukraine’s NATO membership is unlikely was correct.
Trump’s talks with Putin and Zelenskyy
On February 12, Trump and Putin held a phone conversation during which, among other topics, they discussed the war in Ukraine.
After the conversation, Trump wrote that the Kremlin leader wants to end the war, as does Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
That same day, the US leader also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Later, Trump said he had held "great talks" with both Russia and Ukraine, adding that there is a good opportunity to end the war.
At the same time, several European and Ukrainian media outlets have begun suggesting that the direct conversation between Trump and Putin may indicate that the US could negotiate peace in Ukraine without Ukraine or European countries involved.
In particular, British Defense Secretary John Healey believes that negotiations on Ukraine cannot take place without it, and that Ukraine's voice should be at the center of any negotiations.
Zelenskyy emphasized that no negotiations with Putin could begin without a united position of Ukraine, Europe, and the United States.
