U.S. President Donald Trump said Russia would have to make "concessions" in talks with Ukraine but firmly asserted that Ukraine "can forget" about joining NATO.
Speaking before his first cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump stressed that the U.S. would "try very hard" to get a deal to help ensure Ukraine gets as much back as possible from the conflict.
When asked if giving Russia the ability to keep occupied lands would be a bad precedent, Trump said, "You try and take it away, right? We're going to do the best we can. We're going to do the best we can to make the best deal we can for both sides. But for Ukraine, we're going to try very hard to make a good deal so that they can get as much back as possible. We want to get as much back as possible."
Although he was adamant, Trump did not specify what particular concessions he expected from Russia or Ukraine. He did, however, reiterate his opposition to Ukraine joining NATO, attributing the war that broke out in 2022 to the alliance.
Pressed again about the character of those concessions, Trump refused to comment further, saying, "I don't want to tell right now. But I can tell you that NATO, you can forget about. That's been, I think that's probably the reason the whole thing started."
During the discussion, Trump characterized Russian President Vladimir Putin as "a very smart and cunning person," suggesting that if he had not been elected, Putin would have continued advancing into Ukraine.
"He's a very smart fellow. He's a very astute individual. But I've handled some bad individuals. But I'll tell you, as much as this is involved, you have to understand, in my view, he had no interest in resolving this war. I believe he desired the entire thing," Trump said.
He continued, "When I became president, we talked, and I think we're going to have a deal. I can't promise you that. You know, a deal is a deal. A lot of crazy things happen in deals, okay? But I think we're going to have a deal. If I hadn't become president, I think he would have just kept going through Ukraine, and over time, a lot of people would have been killed. It would have lasted for a length of time. And the reason that Ukraine—I have tremendous respect for Ukraine as warriors. They have tremendous warriors. But without our equipment, that war would have been over, like people said, in a very short time."
In a developing story, Trump also announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be arriving in the U.S. on Friday, where the two nations will sign a "very big agreement."
"We're doing great with Russia-Ukraine. President Zelenskyy is going to be visiting on Friday. It's now confirmed. And we're going to be signing an agreement, which will be a very big agreement. And I want to thank Howard and Scott for the work you guys did in putting it together. Really did an incredible job. And that'll be on rare earth and other things," Trump declared.
Zelenskyy's visit comes after Ukraine was visited by U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, not long ago. In his talks, battlefield reports, prisoner swaps, and security guarantees were among the salient points of discussion.
Upon meeting, Zelenskyy renewed Ukraine's commitment to peace and reiterated the country's firm commitment to a strong security pact with the U.S.
In a letter on X, Zelenskyy penned, "I had a good meeting with @SPE_Kellogg--a good discussion, much significant detail. I thank the United States for all the support and bipartisan aid for Ukraine and Ukrainian people. It's vital for us--and for the whole free world--that American power is felt. We discussed the situation on the battlefield in great detail, how to exchange our prisoners of war, and practical security guarantees."
He further stated, "From the very first second of this war, Ukraine has sought peace. We must and can ensure that peace is strong and lasting—so that Russia can never return with war. Ukraine is ready for a strong, effective investment and security agreement with the President of the United States. We have proposed the fastest and most constructive way to achieve results. Our team is ready to work 24/7. Success unites us all. Strong Ukraine-U.S. relations benefit the entire world. I thank General Kellogg for the joint work to achieve important results."
With the imminent high-level negotiations, everyone is looking at the U.S.-Ukraine deal and how it might affect the current war and future geopolitics.
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