In a significant development aimed at resolving the prolonged conflict in Ukraine, former U.S. President Donald Trump engaged in phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday.
During a press briefing in the Oval Office, Trump expressed optimism about achieving peace, stating, \"I think we are on the way to getting peace. I think President Putin wants peace, President Zelensky wants peace and I want peace.\" He emphasized his desire to see an end to the loss of lives, adding, \"I just want to see people stop getting killed.\"
Following the discussions, President Putin extended an invitation to Trump to visit Moscow, indicating a willingness to engage American officials in talks focused on mutual interests, including the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.
The ongoing crisis in Ukraine, now in its third year, has resulted in the tragic loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. The interaction between Trump and Putin has been viewed as a positive step toward de-escalation.
A central issue fueling the Russia-West divide is Ukraine's aspiration to join NATO. Established in 1949, NATO was initially formed to counter perceived threats from the Soviet Union. Post-Cold War, the alliance has continued to expand, a move that the Kremlin perceives as a direct threat.
The Kremlin views Ukraine's potential NATO membership as analogous to a buildup of Western troops on its doorstep, especially in light of Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which considers an attack against one ally as an attack against all allies.
Despite the Kremlin's longstanding objections to NATO's eastward expansion, the Western bloc has maintained its support for Ukraine's membership aspirations. This continued support has been a catalyst for Russia's military responses.
On the same day as the Trump-Putin call, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described Ukraine's NATO membership as \"unrealistic\" and advised Kyiv to relinquish hopes of reclaiming territories from Russia. Hegseth emphasized that \"there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine\" as part of any security guarantee and urged Europe to take the lead in providing both lethal and nonlethal aid to Ukraine.
