Location at a glance: Trump wants to talk to Putin in Saudi Arabia about Ukraine

After almost three years of war in Ukraine, there could be movement in international efforts for a peace solution. Shortly before the third anniversary of the Russian attack, US President Donald Trump talked on both Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and with the Ukrainian head of state Wolodymyr Selenskyj. It was the first confirmed contact Putin with Trump in his second term. A personal meeting in Saudi Arabia is due to follow soon.

Before there is an excited meeting, there are a number of other steps. The first of them: On Friday, Trump’s Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Selenskyj at the Munich Security Conference.

Similar to Kiev in the United States, worry is growing that Ukraine could be pushed aside during the negotiations. “There is no doubt that Trump wants to negotiate Ukraine’s fate for Ukraine,” said democratic Senator Chris Murphy. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other Western politicians, on the other hand, have emphasized several times that the Ukrainians themselves would have to decide on possible peace talks and their outcome. Trump said he did not assume that Selenskyj will be left out. “I don’t think so, as long as he is there,” added the US President and emphasized: “Sometimes you have to have elections.”

Defense Minister Pete Hegseth missed the hopes of the Ukrainians a bitter damper yesterday. A NATO joining the country is practically excluded, the full restoration of the borders of Ukraine, which was issued by Selenskyj as a war goal, was unrealistic, he said at a meeting of the Ukraine contact group in Brussels. This group includes dozens of states including Germany and the USA, which have so far been the two most important supporters and arms suppliers of Ukraine.

Trump’s negotiation team

Trump sends a team into the negotiations with Russia, which, in addition to Foreign Minister Rubio, also includes New York’s real estate-Tycoon and today’s Middle East specialist Steve Witkoff. CIA director John Ratcliffe and the national security advisor Mike Waltz are also there. Witkoff was already significantly involved in the negotiations on the ceasefire in the Middle East. He also acted with Russia the exchange of prisoners, which is generally seen in the USA in connection with the Ukraine question.

Keith Kellogg’s actual Russia-Sondering will not be one of the US dealers. He had repeatedly commented on Putin’s political role. Kellogg will visit Ukraine in the next few days, as the White House announced.

Meeting at the presidential level

Only when the conversations have borne fruits on a diplomatic level will there be a clash between Trump and Putin. The US President named Saudi Arabia as a likely place for it. Afterwards there could be mutual invitations to Washington and Moscow, he said. However, there should continue to exist by telephone. Already on Wednesday, the two presidents had spent more than an hour on the phone, as Trump reported. “We had a great conversation, it took a long time.” The Kremlin confirmed the phone call.

“We have agreed to work very closely together and to visit each other’s nations,” said Trump. Negotiations should begin immediately to end the war in Ukraine. First of all, he will inform the Ukrainian President Selenskyj about the conversation. “I believe that these efforts will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon!”

The message from the Kremlin

From the Kremlin it was said that Putin had declared his willingness to receive representatives of the White House in Russia – also to solve the Ukraine conflict. “Putin and Trump have also agreed to continue personal contacts, including the organization of a personal meeting,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow. Putin invited Trump to Moscow.

According to Kremlin, Putin pointed out on the phone that Russia insisted on eliminating the cause of the conflict. According to Moscow, the Russian war of aggression was caused by the fact that Ukraine strives to NATO and suppress the Russian -speaking minority in its field.

Satisfaction in Moscow is primarily due to the new line proclaimed by Pentagon boss Hegseth in US foreign policy: rejection of NATO membership in Ukraine and the expectation of territorial concessions. The influential Moscow foreign politician Leonid Sluzki spoke of a “cold shower for Selenskyj”. Trump said: “Part of the country (Ukraine) will come back.” A return to the borders of 2014 – before the occupation of the Crimea peninsula and the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east of Ukraine – is “unlikely”.

The Ukrainian perspective

After the phone call with Trump, Selenskyj was optimistic that a diplomatic solution in the war against Russia was possible. “We believe that America’s strength is big enough to force us and our partners Russia and Putin to make peace,” said the head of state in his evening video address. The detailed phone call with Trump went well. The US President also informed him about the content of the phone call with Putin.

USA secure access to raw materials in Ukraine

Selenskyj also reported on the meeting with US Finance Minister Scott Bessent. It was a contract in preparation that strengthens Ukrainian security and economic cooperation, he said. The paper should be developed until the Munich Security Conference in order to be able to present it to the US Vice President JD Vance present there. According to Trump, Besser is supposed to negotiate a document in Ukraine that guarantees the United States to “get back” money for the support of the country.

Bessent had given Selenskyj a draft contract for the reduction of rare raw materials in the country by US investors during his inaugural visit to Kiev. “We edited the document today, we will do everything we can to work, be able to reconcile something very quickly and sign the document,” said Selenskyj after the meeting. After taking office, Trump had declared that he wanted to have his country’s weapons aid paid to Kiev with raw materials.