U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy in a push to end the war in Ukraine, three years after Russia invaded.
According to Trump, Putin agreed to "start negotiations" to end the war.
It comes after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the possibility of Ukraine reclaiming the Crimean peninsula (annexed by Russia in 2014) was “unrealistic”.
So, could Trump end Russia's war in Ukraine?
Background
Putin has repeatedly asserted Ukraine is a part of Russia.
In 2014, Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, a peninsula on the Black Sea.
The United Nations human rights monitoring body in Ukraine says Russia’s occupation has led to multiple “violations” including “suppressing opposition and dissent”.
In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, inciting war.
Around 12,500 civilians are estimated to have been killed in the war, according to UN data. Neither side publishes data on soldier deaths and injuries.
Over the past year, there has been little movement on the frontlines, except for a Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory on the northern border.
Russia currently controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Following the 2022 invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently sought to expel Russian forces from all parts of Ukraine, including Crimea.
Vladimir Putin
After Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Russian goods and some of its citizens.
Putin did not speak to former U.S. President Joe Biden after he implemented those sanctions for the rest of his presidency.
On Wednesday night, Trump and Putin held a phone call, which the U.S. President called “lengthy and highly productive” in a post on social media.
Trump said the two leaders agreed to visit each other’s countries.
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“We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately,” Trump said.
The Kremlin confirmed it has invited Trump to visit Moscow.
Trump also spoke with Zelenskky, who he said “wants to make peace.”
Zelenskyy will meet with senior American officials at a conference in Germany later this week, including Vice President JD Vance.
NATO
Ukraine has sought to join NATO since the 1990s. Putin cited this to justify his invasion of Ukraine.
According to its website, NATO’s official position is “Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” which Biden reaffirmed.
Under Article 5 of the NATO agreement, if Ukraine became a member, all 32 member states would have to go to war on its behalf if Russia attacked it.
In his speech, Hegseth said the U.S. no longer supports Ukraine’s membership, and that it is not “a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement” with Russia.
As part of his address at the NATO headquarters in Belgium, Hegseth also said he did not believe returning Crimea to Ukraine is feasible.
“We want... a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine,” he said.
“But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective.”
“Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,“ Hegseth said.
Reaction
Zelenskyy has since reiterated his plans to sign up Ukraine to NATO.
He emphasised: “No negotiations with Putin can begin without a united position from Ukraine, Europe, and the U.S.”
NATO allies have backed Zelenskyy’s position, stating Ukraine needs to play a role in all peace negotiations.
The alliance’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, told reporters: “Ukraine will be involved in any way whatsoever”.
