Trump and Putin Agree to Immediate Ceasefire Talks... Will a Ukraine-Excluded Peace Deal Emerge? (Comprehensive)

Trump Agrees with Putin to Begin Ceasefire Talks
After Call with Zelensky: "He Wants Peace Like Putin"
U.S. Defense Chief Urges Ukraine to "Abandon Illusionary Goals"
Rejects All Demands for "Territory Restoration, NATO Membership, U.S. Troop Deployment"
U.S. Treasury Secretary Visits Ukraine to Discuss Critical Minerals Cooperation

U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which they agreed to immediately begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and to make reciprocal state visits. This development is expected to accelerate discussions aimed at ending the Ukraine war, now in its third year since February 2022. However, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth effectively rejected Ukraine’s long-standing conditions for a ceasefire agreement, suggesting that any peace deal would primarily reflect Russia’s demands. Bloomberg reported, "The United States is reversing its policy of the past three years and is increasing pressure on its European allies and Kyiv."

On the 12th (local time), President Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, "We all agreed that we want to prevent millions of deaths in the Russia-Ukraine war."

President Trump stated, "We agreed to work very closely together, including visiting each other's countries," and added, "Our respective teams will begin negotiations immediately." He further explained, "I will start by calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to inform him of the conversation."

He said he had instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the negotiations.

President Trump expressed confidence in the negotiations, saying, "I am convinced that the negotiations will succeed. Millions of people have died in a war that would not have happened if I were president, but since the war has occurred, it must end."

He also expressed gratitude for the release of American citizen Marc Fogel, who had been detained by Russia since the summer of 2021 on drug smuggling charges.

He said, "I appreciate President Putin's time and effort for this call," and added, "I believe this effort will hopefully soon lead to a successful conclusion."

The Kremlin also confirmed that the two leaders spoke for an hour and a half that morning.

Afterwards, President Trump spoke with President Zelensky and said, "It went very well. Like Putin, he also wants to achieve peace," noting that they mainly discussed the Munich Security Conference to be held in Germany from February 14 to 16. The United States may announce a ceasefire scenario for the Ukraine war at this conference.

However, Secretary Hegseth indicated that all of Ukraine’s core demands could be excluded from future ceasefire negotiations.

During opening remarks at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, he described restoring Ukraine’s borders to their pre-2014 status as "an unrealistic objective" and "an illusionary goal." He also expressed a negative stance on Ukraine joining NATO, saying, "I do not believe this is a realistic outcome of the (ceasefire) negotiations." He further stated that while a military presence is needed to guarantee Ukraine’s security, "there will be no deployment of U.S. troops."

President Zelensky has consistently demanded the return of territories forcibly annexed or occupied by Russia, NATO membership, and the deployment of peacekeeping forces including the United States as core conditions for a ceasefire agreement. Secretary Hegseth made it clear that none of these demands would be accepted. As a result, it is widely expected that the United States will present ceasefire negotiation guidelines that primarily reflect Russia’s demands.

This approach by the Trump administration stands in stark contrast to the Biden administration, which supported negotiations led by the Ukrainian government. Former President Joe Biden did not speak with President Putin after the war began and instead focused on providing military and financial support to strengthen Ukraine’s negotiating position against Russia.

Bloomberg reported, "President Trump’s approach to the war marks a sharp break from former President Biden," and warned, "The U.S. stance risks creating divisions with European allies who argue that Ukraine should determine the terms of negotiations." The New York Times assessed, "The West’s efforts to diplomatically isolate President Putin, who invaded Ukraine three years ago, have collapsed."

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Ukraine and met with President Zelensky to discuss cooperation on critical minerals such as rare earths. Previously, President Trump had stated that the United States would seek access to Ukraine’s critical minerals in exchange for military support. Secretary Bessent said this cooperation would serve as a "security shield" for Ukraine, adding, "The critical minerals deal is part of the peace agreement, and President Trump wants to end this war swiftly."