Several NATO allies are stressing that Ukraine and Europe must not be cut out of any peace negotiations. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s lengthy phone call that his country cannot accept ‘any agreements without us.’ U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, meanwhile, denied that the United States is betraying the war-ravaged country.
Hegseth is scheduled to speak before media at 10:45 a.m. ET. Watch in the player above.
European governments are reeling after the Trump administration signaled that it is planning face-to-face talks with Russia on ending the Ukraine war without involving them, insisted that Kyiv should not join NATO, and said it’s up to Europe to protect itself and Ukraine from whatever Russia might do next.
“There can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine. And Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any talks,” U.K. Defence Secretary John Healey told reporters at NATO headquarters as the organization’s 32 defense ministers met for talks on Ukraine.
