US President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, marking the first phone call between the two leaders in this term. According to Trump’s social media platform, the two leaders have agreed to begin negotiations on Ukraine immediately, with Trump stating he will inform Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the development.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Pete Hegseth, speaking at a gathering of the Ukraine Contact Group in Brussels, had described the idea of Ukraine returning to its pre-2014 borders, recognized by Russia, as “unrealistic.” Hegseth also expressed skepticism about Ukraine’s potential membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), stating that it is not a likely outcome of negotiations.
On Wednesday, the US Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence, on the recommendation of President Trump. Gabbard, in recent years, has referred to Zelenskyy’s government as a “corrupt autocracy” and has called on NATO to acknowledge Russia’s “legitimate security concerns.