Hegseth: Trump's initiative is not a betrayal of Ukraine

The initiative of US President Donald Trump, who agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin to "immediately" launch negotiations on Ukraine, is not a "betrayal" of that country, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in Brussels today.

"There is no betrayal. There is an understanding that the whole world and the United States are committed to peace, to negotiated peace," Hegseth told reporters ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers, according to Agence France-Presse.

He said that the US attempt to negotiate between Ukraine and Russia "is certainly not a betrayal" of Ukrainian soldiers who have been fighting the Russian invasion for the past three years, the BBC reports.

Hegseth stressed that the US has shown incredible commitment to NATO and that no country has made a greater commitment to Ukraine than the US.

He added that the US has invested more than $300 billion to stabilize the front lines after the start of Russian aggression and that the world is "lucky" to have President Donald Trump and that now only he "can bring together the forces to bring peace."

Trump announced a meeting with Russian President Putin and predicted a ceasefire in Ukraine "in the not-too-distant future."

The US president informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about his conversation with Putin.

Putin told Trump he wanted to find a "long-term solution" to the Ukrainian conflict through "peace negotiations," the Kremlin said.

The BBC recalls that Hegseth stated yesterday that it would be unrealistic to think that Ukraine could return to its state borders before 2014 and downplayed Kiev's prospects for joining NATO.

Ruta: Kiev must be included in all peace talks on Ukraine

Ukraine must be "closely involved" in any peace talks involving the country and any agreement must be "sustainable", NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said today.

"When we talk about Ukraine, it is crucial that Ukraine is closely involved in everything that concerns Ukraine," Rutte told reporters, a day after a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The US president informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about his conversation with Putin.

For his part, Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump that he wants to find a "long-term solution" to the Ukrainian conflict through "peace negotiations," the Kremlin said.