(CLO) US President Donald Trump announced that negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the Ukraine crisis will begin "immediately".
The decision came after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth bluntly stated that Ukraine could not achieve its goal of regaining all of its territory from Russia, and announced that the US would reduce its role in ensuring European security.
Mr Hegseth caused a stir at a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels by insisting that it was unrealistic for Ukraine to return to its pre-2014 borders. He warned that pursuing this goal would only prolong the conflict and cause more suffering.
Shortly afterwards, Mr Trump confirmed that he had had a "productive" phone call with Mr Putin and directed the US negotiating team to begin work immediately. He also announced that he would inform Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of this plan.
US President Donald Trump announced that he had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Sputnik
Responding to the surprise decision from the US, European leaders, including France, Germany, Britain, Poland, Italy and Spain, unanimously affirmed that they must be present at any negotiations related to Ukraine.
In a joint statement, they stressed: "Ukraine and Europe must be involved in any negotiations" and insisted that only an agreement with strong security guarantees could bring lasting peace.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said: "There will be no decision on Ukraine without Ukraine." Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stressed that increased military support for Ukraine is necessary before negotiations with Russia. Meanwhile, France has maintained its stance of supporting Ukraine on its path to NATO membership, despite the Trump administration's rejection of this as part of a peaceful solution.
The call between Trump and Putin caught European allies by surprise, as they were not informed in advance. Some EU officials expressed concern that the US negotiating separately with Russia could put pressure on Ukraine to make further concessions.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was not immediately available for comment, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stressed that Europe needed to be central to any negotiations on Ukraine.
Currently, the US negotiating team including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz has begun working with the Russian side.
Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters, Politico)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/chau-au-choang-vang-voi-ke-hoach-hoa-binh-cua-my-ve-cuoc-chien-o-ukraine-post334290.html
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