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Tag: Ukraine

Vance warns US will use sanctions, military action if Putin doesn’t agree to Ukraine peace deal

Former Marine talks ending the war in Ukraine

U.S. Marine veteran Chad Robichaux joins ‘Fox News @ Night’ to discuss efforts to restore peace in Ukraine and Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation as director of national intelligence.

Vice President JD Vance on Thursday reportedly warned that the U.S. wouldn’t rule out tough sanctions or even potential military action against Russia if President Vladimir Putin didn’t come to the negotiating table on a deal that would guarantee peace for Ukraine.

In speaking with The Wall Street Journal, which was the first to report on Vance’s comments, the vice president said sending U.S. troops to Ukraine was “on the table” if Russia failed to negotiate in good faith.

Vance said there are “economic tools of leverage [and] there are, of course, military tools of leverage” that the U.S. could use against Putin.

“I think there is a deal that is going to come out of this that’s going to shock a lot of people,” Vance told The Journal.

‘NO REASON’ FOR NEW NUKES: TRUMP FLOATS DISARMAMENT TALKS WITH CHINA, RUSSIA

U.S. Vice President JD Vance visits Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site in Dachau, Germany February 13, 2025. (REUTERS/Leah Millis)

Vance’s comments came a day before the vice president is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Munich. The discussions will be closely watched by European leaders to gauge where President Trump stands on negotiating an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, which is nearing three years.

President Trump had what he described as a “lengthy” phone call with Putin on Wednesday, which included the Russian leader agreeing to “immediately” begin negotiations over the war in Ukraine.

RUSSIA CLAIMS TRUMP, PUTIN TALK BROUGHT WORLD FROM ‘BRINK OF APOCALYPSE,’ EU WARNS OF ‘DIRTY TRICKS’

Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the two leaders “agreed to work together, very closely.”

“We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now. I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, to lead the negotiations which, I feel strongly, will be successful.”

President Donald Trump (center), Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right). (Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto via Getty Images | Contributor/Getty Images | Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are scheduled to lead the U.S. delegation to the Munich Security Conference where the future of Ukraine will be the top item on the agenda.

Trump has been vague about his specific intentions — other than suggesting that a deal will likely result in Ukraine being forced to cede territory that Russia has seized since it annexed Crimea in 2014.

RUSSIA LAUNCHES FRESH DRONE ATTACK AGAINST UKRAINE SHORTLY AFTER TRUMP-PUTIN PHONE CALL

“The Ukraine war has to end,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “Young people are being killed at levels that nobody’s seen since World War II. And it’s a ridiculous war.”

Both Trump and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dashed Ukraine’s hopes this week of becoming part of NATO, which the alliance said less than a year ago was “irreversible,” or getting back its territory captured by Russia, which currently occupies close to 20%, including Crimea.

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, left, walks with Britain’s Defense Secretary John Healey prior to a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a NATO defense ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, on Wednesday, Feb. 12. (Johanna Geron/Pool Photo via AP)

“I don’t see any way that a country in Russia’s position could allow … them to join NATO,” Trump said Thursday. “I don’t see that happening.”

When asked what he thought Russia should give up to reach a deal, he noted that talks have not yet begun and that “maybe Russia will give up a lot, maybe they won’t.”

At NATO headquarters, Hegseth reiterated Thursday that “simply pointing out realism like the borders won’t be rolled back to what everybody would like them to be in 2014 is not a concession to Vladimir Putin.” He said it’s a recognition of realities on the ground.

He added, though, that neither Russia nor Ukraine will “get everything that they want” and stressed that “any negotiation that’s had will be had with both.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for a response to Vance’s comments.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.

February 14, 2025
Obama officials, Trump critics target Hegseth’s Ukraine ‘concessions’ as ‘biggest gift’ to Russia

Obama officials and Trump critics are up in arms after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a return to the Eastern European country’s pre-war borders with Russia is “unrealistic.”

Hegseth, speaking to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Belgium on Wednesday, said “returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective.” He also called for Europe to offer Ukraine security guarantees after the war – not the U.S.

Trump administration critics accused the secretary of giving up leverage before the start of peace negotiations with Russia.

“Putin is gonna pocket this and ask for more,” Brett Bruen, director of Global Engagement under the Obama White House, told Fox News Digital.

RUSSIAN MISSILES RAINED DOWN ON KYIV JUST AHEAD OF TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT’S VISIT

Ukraine advocates are up in arms about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments they believe give up leverage before the start of peace negotiations. (DefSec Hegseth on X)

Hegseth said Wednesday that “durable peace” for Ukraine must “ensure that the war will not begin again.”

“The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops,” he said.

“If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and not covered under Article 5. There also must be robust international oversight of the line of contact. To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine.”

While it is little surprise the Trump administration does not currently support Ukraine’s NATO membership, or believe Ukraine can take back all of its territory including Crimea, critics argue that Hegseth vocalizing these beliefs just as President Donald Trump fired the opening salvo in peace negotiations took them off the table as leverage.

“Why would you unilaterally surrender on some of those key strategic issues? Even if Trump ultimately wants to give ground, at least get something in return,” Bruen said.

‘NO BETRAYAL’ IN TRUMP MOVE TOWARD UKRAINE WAR NEGOTIATIONS, HEGSETH SAYS

“Anyone with any diplomatic experience would have said it is critical that we use this as part of our negotiation, as President Trump wants to have with Moscow. But the idea that we’re simply going to announce all of the things that we are not going to do goes against 70 years of our diplomacy and our military strategy.”

Michael McFaul, ambassador to Russia under the Obama administration, asked why the Trump administration appeared to be giving Russian President Vladimir Putin wins for free.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, center, made the comments while meeting with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the NATO headquarters in Brussels. (Johanna Geron/Pool Photo via AP)

“Why is the Trump administration giving Putin gifts – Ukrainian land and no NATO membership for Ukraine – before negotiations even begin?” he asked on X. “I’ve negotiated with the Russians. You never give up anything to them for free.”

Alexander Vindman, a Trump impeachment witness and former Europe director at the National Security Council – who continues to be a fierce Trump critic – characterized Hegseth’s comments as “complete capitulation to Putin” that justifies Russia’s wars of aggression going back to Georgia in 2008.

“This will embolden Putin and undermine the interests of peace in Ukraine and Europe. A major blow to U.S. national security,” Vindman asserted.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., chimed in that Hegseth’s comments show, “Trump’s foreign policy has always been Russia First. Never America and its allies first.”

The defense secretary also called on Europe to “take ownership of conventional security on the continent.”

HEGSETH WARNS EUROPEANS ‘REALITIES’ OF CHINA AND BORDER THREATS PREVENT US FROM GUARANTEEING THEIR SECURITY

“European allies must lead from the front,” Hegseth said. “Together, we can establish a division of labor that maximize our comparative advantages in Europe and Pacific, respectively.”

His comments came just before Trump called both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Kyiv.

On Friday, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

The Putin conversation came one day after the release of American Marc Fogel, who had been detained by the Kremlin, which Trump said he saw as a sign of “good faith” by the Russians.

Trump, meanwhile, has begun pressuring Ukrainians to turn over access to rare Earth minerals in exchange for security aid. Bessent presented Ukraine with a draft deal exchanging aid for minerals on Wednesday in Kyiv, according to Zelenskyy.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments came just before President Donald Trump called both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pictured here, and as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Kyiv. (Photo by Bonnie Cash/Getty Images)

“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday of his call with Putin. “We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately.”

He announced that he would asked Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to lead negotiations.

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Trump also said his call with Zelenskyy went “very well.”

“It is time to stop this ridiculous War, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, DEATH and DESTRUCTION. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!”

February 13, 2025
Ukraine reports drone attack not long after Trump talks with Putin, Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s air force indicated in a Facebook post on Thursday that the Eastern European nation had been targeted in a drone attack overnight.

“85 ENEMY UAVS SHOT, 52 DRONES FAILED TO REACH THEIR TARGETS (LOCATIONALLY LOST),” the top of the post read, according to a Google translation of the Ukrainian text.

The announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump noted on Wednesday that he had spoken to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

TRUMP SAYS RUSSIA AGREES TO ‘IMMEDIATELY’ BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS TO END WAR IN UKRAINE

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Kyiv on Feb. 10, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine (TETIANA DZHAFAROVA/AFP via Getty Images)

In a Truth Social post, the president described his call with Putin as “lengthy and highly productive.”

During President Joe Biden’s White House tenure, the U.S. provided billions worth of assistance to Ukraine as the embattled nation has been contending with a Russian onslaught.

But Trump is pushing for an end to the years-long war between the two foreign nations.

UKRAINE REGAINING PRE-2014 BORDERS IS ‘UNREALISTIC OBJECTIVE,’ HEGSETH SAYS IN FIRST NATO VISIT

He said in the post that he and Putin “both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine.”

“We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now,” he noted.

In a post later on Wednesday, Trump said his talk with Zelenskyy had gone “very well.”

PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS

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“He, like President Putin, wants to make PEACE,” Trump noted.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
Ukraine advocates tear into Hegseth for giving Russia ‘concessions’ at start of peace talks: ‘Biggest gift’

Ukraine advocates are up in arms after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a return to the Eastern European country’s pre-war borders with Russia is “unrealistic.”

Hegseth, speaking to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Belgium on Wednesday, said “returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective.” He also called for Europe to offer Ukraine security guarantees after the war – not the U.S.

Pro-Ukraine voices accused the secretary of giving up leverage before the start of peace negotiations with Russia.

“Putin is gonna pocket this and ask for more,” Brett Bruen, director of Global Engagement under the Obama White House, told Fox News Digital.

RUSSIAN MISSILES RAINED DOWN ON KYIV JUST AHEAD OF TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT’S VISIT

Ukraine advocates are up in arms about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments they believe give up leverage before the start of peace negotiations. (DefSec Hegseth on X)

Hegseth said Wednesday that “durable peace” for Ukraine must “ensure that the war will not begin again.”

“The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops,” he said.

“If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and not covered under Article 5. There also must be robust international oversight of the line of contact. To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine.”

While it is little surprise the Trump administration does not currently support Ukraine’s NATO membership, or believe Ukraine can take back all of its territory including Crimea, Ukraine advocates argue that Hegseth vocalizing these beliefs just as President Donald Trump fired the opening salvo in peace negotiations took them off the table as leverage.

“Why would you unilaterally surrender on some of those key strategic issues? Even if Trump ultimately wants to give ground, at least get something in return,” Bruen said.

‘NO BETRAYAL’ IN TRUMP MOVE TOWARD UKRAINE WAR NEGOTIATIONS, HEGSETH SAYS

“Anyone with any diplomatic experience would have said it is critical that we use this as part of our negotiation, as President Trump wants to have with Moscow. But the idea that we’re simply going to announce all of the things that we are not going to do goes against 70 years of our diplomacy and our military strategy.”

Michael McFaul, ambassador to Russia under the Obama administration, asked why the Trump administration appeared to be giving Russian President Vladimir Putin wins for free.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, center, made the comments while meeting with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the NATO headquarters in Brussels. (Johanna Geron/Pool Photo via AP)

“Why is the Trump administration giving Putin gifts – Ukrainian land and no NATO membership for Ukraine – before negotiations even begin?” he asked on X. “I’ve negotiated with the Russians. You never give up anything to them for free.”

Alexander Vindman, former Europe director at the National Security Council, characterized Hegseth’s comments as “complete capitulation to Putin” that justifies Russia’s wars of aggression going back to Georgia in 2008.

“This will embolden Putin and undermine the interests of peace in Ukraine and Europe. A major blow to U.S. national security,” Vindman said.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., chimed in that Hegseth’s comments show, “Trump’s foreign policy has always been Russia First. Never America and its allies first.”

The defense secretary also called on Europe to “take ownership of conventional security on the continent.”

HEGSETH WARNS EUROPEANS ‘REALITIES’ OF CHINA AND BORDER THREATS PREVENT US FROM GUARANTEEING THEIR SECURITY

“European allies must lead from the front,” Hegseth said. “Together, we can establish a division of labor that maximize our comparative advantages in Europe and Pacific, respectively.”

His comments came just before Trump called both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Kyiv.

On Friday, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

The Putin conversation came one day after the release of American Marc Fogel, who had been detained by the Kremlin, which Trump said he saw as a sign of “good faith” by the Russians.

Trump, meanwhile, has begun pressuring Ukrainians to turn over access to rare Earth minerals in exchange for security aid. Bessent presented Ukraine with a draft deal exchanging aid for minerals on Wednesday in Kyiv, according to Zelenskyy.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments came just before President Donald Trump called both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pictured here, and as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Kyiv. (Photo by Bonnie Cash/Getty Images)

“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday of his call with Putin. “We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately.”

He announced that he would asked Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to lead negotiations.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump also said his call with Zelenskyy went “very well.”

“It is time to stop this ridiculous War, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, DEATH and DESTRUCTION. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!”

February 13, 2025
‘No betrayal’ in Trump move toward Ukraine war negotiations, Hegseth says

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said President Donald Trump’s move toward negotiations with Russia to end the war with Ukraine was “no betrayal” during a visit to NATO headquarters in Belgium on Thursday.

Hegseth replied to a reporter’s question about the U.S. potentially betraying Ukraine after Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about beginning to negotiate peace without Kyiv’s full involvement.

“There is no betrayal there,” Hegseth told reporters. “There is a recognition that the whole world and the United States is invested and interested in peace, a negotiated peace.”

Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 2022, when Russia first invaded its neighboring nation. Trump had repeatedly said while on the campaign trail that if he was president in 2022 the war would not have broken out — vowing to end it if re-elected.

PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Harry Nakos)

On Wednesday, Trump said he had a “lengthy” call with Putin, which included the Russian leader agreeing to “immediately” begin negotiations over the war in Ukraine. Trump also spoke with Zelenskyy separately. After talks with both leaders, Trump said he would “probably” meet in person with the Russian leader in the near term, possibly in Saudi Arabia.

Responding to a separate question, Hegseth referred to the phone calls and pointed to Trump’s ability as a negotiator.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, right, and United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth address a media conference during a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

“I think you saw from President Trump yesterday, who himself is the best negotiator on the planet, bringing two sides together to find a negotiated peace, which is ultimately what everyone wants,” he said. “So I look forward to the ministerial today with our NATO allies to have honest conversations about where we are.”

‘LET’S DO A DEAL’: ZELENSKYY CALLS TRUMP’S TERMS ACCEPTABLE FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIP

Hegseth also said he believes Trump is the “one man in the world capable of convening the parties together to bring peace.”

During his visit to NATO headquarters on Wednesday, Hegseth told allies that “returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective,” as Trump works to bring an end to the war.

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“He intends to end this war by diplomacy and bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the table. And the U.S. Department of Defense will help achieve this goal,” Hegseth said. “We want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.”

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Greg Norman, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.

February 13, 2025
Putin viewed as ‘great competitor’ but still a US ‘adversary’ as Ukraine negotiations loom, Leavitt says

The Trump administration simultaneously views Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “great competitor” and “adversary” as it hashes out negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a Wednesday press conference.

“I believe this nation views Putin and Russia as a great competitor in the region, at times an adversary,” Leavitt said when asked how President Donald Trump views Russia and Putin. “But as the president has said, as well, he enjoys having good diplomatic relations with leaders around the world. Finding that common ground, also calling them out when they are wrong. Leading from a position of peace through strength. That’s the president’s greatest strength.”

Just ahead of the Wednesday afternoon press conference, Trump announced on Truth Social that he had spoken to Putin on the phone and the two had agreed to begin negotiations over ending the war in Ukraine.

“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now. I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, to lead the negotiations which, I feel strongly, will be successful.”

TRUMP SAYS RUSSIA AGREES TO ‘IMMEDIATELY’ BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS TO END WAR IN UKRAINE

The U.S. views Putin as a “great competitor” and “adversary” as the country works to secure a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. (Getty Images)

Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 2022, when Russia first invaded its neighboring nation. Trump has said while on the 2024 campaign trail that he would end the war if re-elected, while claiming it would never have begun if he had been in the Oval Office at the time.

President Donald Trump posted a follow-up Truth Social post on Feb. 12, 2025, that he also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, remarking the conversation “went very well.” (Getty Images)

Leavitt was peppered with a handful of questions surrounding the negotiations, including why the Trump administration’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg was not included on Trump’s list of U.S. officials leading the negotiations.

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social Feb. 12, 2025, that he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the two had agreed to begin negotiations over ending the war in Ukraine. (Reuters)

Kellogg “remains a critical part of this team in this effort,” Leavitt said. “He’s played a tremendous role in getting the negotiations to this point, and he’s very much still part of the Trump administration.”

“The president, in his Truth following the phone call with Vladimir Putin, said that he has asked Secretary of State Rubio, the Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, our national security advisor here at the White House, Michael Waltz and Steve Witkoff, to lead the negotiations,” she said.

FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY

The Kremlin posted a Russian language readout of the phone call with Trump on Wednesday, which was translated into English, and it reported Putin invited Trump to Moscow. Leavitt said she did not have any details to share on a potential visit to the country.

Trump posted a follow-up Truth Social post on Wednesday that he also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, remarking the conversation “went very well.”

AMERICAN MARC FOGEL RELEASED FROM RUSSIAN CUSTODY

“He, like President Putin, wants to make PEACE,” Trump wrote. “We discussed a variety of topics having to do with the War, but mostly, the meeting that is being set up on Friday in Munich, where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the Delegation. I am hopeful that the results of that meeting will be positive. It is time to stop this ridiculous War, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, DEATH and DESTRUCTION. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!”

President Donald Trump welcomes Marc Fogel back to the United States on Feb. 11, 2025, after he was released from Russian custody. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The announcement of the initiation of peace negotiations follows the return of Marc Fogel to the U.S. on Tuesday. Fogel is a grade school teacher from Pennsylvania who was arrested in Russia in 2021 for possession of marijuana in an airport. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison before the U.S. secured his release.

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“I want to thank President Putin for his time and effort with respect to this call, and for the release, yesterday, of Marc Fogel, a wonderful man that I personally greeted last night at the White House,” Trump added of the release in his Truth Social post earlier Wednesday. “I believe this effort will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon!”

February 13, 2025
Ukraine regaining pre-2014 borders is ‘unrealistic objective,’ Hegseth says

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told allies at NATO headquarters Wednesday that “returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective” as President Donald Trump is working to bring an end to the war.

Hegseth, speaking to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Belgium, also said “stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being primarily focused on the security of Europe” because the U.S. is focusing on “securing our own borders” and “deterring war with China in the Pacific.”

“President Trump has been clear with the American people — and with many of your leaders — that stopping the fighting and reaching an enduring peace is a top priority,” Hegseth said about Ukraine, noting that the war is approaching its third anniversary.

“He intends to end this war by diplomacy and bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the table. And the U.S. Department of Defense will help achieve this goal,” Hegseth continued. “We want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.”

JD VANCE, TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT TO MEET WITH ZELENSKYY AS TRUMP TEAM SETS SIGHTS ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Pentagon on Feb. 5 in Arlington, Va. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

In early 2014, Russia first invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula before annexing the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin then launched a larger military conflict with Ukraine in 2022, which remains ongoing.

“A durable peace for Ukraine must include robust security guarantees to ensure that the war will not begin again,” Hegseth said Wednesday. “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops.”

“If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and not covered under Article 5. There also must be robust international oversight of the line of contact,” he continued. “To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine.”

ZELENSKYY CALLS TRUMP’S TERMS ACCEPTABLE FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with then-U.S. president-elect Donald Trump at the Élysée Presidential Palace in Paris, France on Dec. 7, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Trump, during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on “Special Report,” said “tremendous progress” has been made over the last week when it comes to a Ukraine-Russia peace deal.

“They have tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth, in terms of oil and gas, in terms of other things. I want to have our money secured because we’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars,” Trump said about Ukraine. “And, you know, they may make a deal. They may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday.”

“I told them that I want the equivalent, like $500 billion worth of rare earth. And they’ve essentially agreed to do that. So at least we don’t feel stupid. Otherwise, we’re stupid,” Trump added. “I said to them, we have to, we have to get something. We can’t continue to pay this money, you know.

In an interview this week with The Guardian, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “There are voices which say that Europe could offer security guarantees without the Americans, and I always say no” and that “Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees.”

Hegseth also said he is in Brussels today to “directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being primarily focused on the security of Europe.

“The United States faces consequential threats to our homeland. We must — and we are — focusing on securing our own borders,” he said. “We also face a peer competitor in China with the capability and intent to threaten our homeland and core national interests in the Indo-Pacific.”

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, left, walks with Britain’s Defense Secretary John Healey prior to a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a NATO defense ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, on Wednesday, Feb. 12. (Johanna Geron/Pool Photo via AP)

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“The U.S. is prioritizing deterring war with China in the Pacific, recognizing the reality of scarcity, and making the resourcing tradeoffs to ensure deterrence does not fail,” Hegseth added. “As the United States shifts its attention to these threats, European allies must lead from the front.”

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

February 12, 2025
Trump plans to meet with Zelenskyy as he looks to end Ukraine war

President Donald Trump may soon meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“He may meet next week, yeah. Whenever he would like. I’m here,” Trump told reporters while hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday.

Trump said that the meeting likely would be held in Washington, D.C., because he wouldn’t go to Ukraine.

Trump also said there was a possibility he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that the two have always had a “very good relationship.”

TRUMP AND ‘NO ONE ELSE’ CAN END THE UKRAINE-RUSSIA WAR, US ALLY SAYS

President Donand Trump said he likely would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington, as he wouldn’t be going to Ukraine. (Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press)

“That’s why it is so sad that this happened,” Trump said, appearing to reference Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “This never would have happened if I were president.”

Trump, who met with Zelenskyy in New York in September 2024, urged Putin to cease the war — or face sanctions — in a post on Truth Social on Jan. 22.

“Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” Trump said. If we don’t make a ‘deal’, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said he backed issuing harsher sanctions on Russia during his confirmation hearing Jan. 16 to expedite the end of the war.

TRUMP’S ‘RARE’ PRICE FOR US MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE CALLED ‘FAIR’ BY ZELENSKYY

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he backed issuing harsher sanctions on Russia during his confirmation hearing Jan. 16. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

According to retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Trump is the only person that could end the conflict.

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“The only person that Putin will really want to talk to — because he’s kind of denigrated other leaders that are out there — is President Trump, and President Trump’s the only one who can bring this to a conclusion,” Kellogg told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

February 7, 2025
Zelenskyy warns peace talks without Ukraine ‘dangerous’ after Trump claims meetings with Russia ‘going well’

Excluding Ukraine from U.S.-led talks involving the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kyiv’s eastern front would set a “dangerous” precedent to dictators across the globe, warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“If there will be direct talks between America and Russia without Ukraine, it is very dangerous, I think,” Zelenskyy said in a Saturday interview with the Associated Press. “They may have their own relations, but talking about Ukraine without us – it is dangerous for everyone.”

Zelenskyy argued that doing so would validate Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion and “show that he was right” because he received “impunity” and “compromise.”

“This will mean that anyone can act like this. And this will be a signal to other leaders of the big countries who think about [doing]… something similar,” he said.

ZELENSKYY PRAISES TRUMP FOR ‘JUST AND FAIR’ RHETORIC TOWARD RUSSIA: ‘EXACTLY WHAT PUTIN IS AFRAID OF’

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference at the Ukraine peace summit in Obbürgen, Switzerland, on June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

The Ukrainian president’s comments came before President Donald Trump on Sunday suggested that his administration had already begun talks with Moscow and claimed they were “going pretty well.”

“We have meetings and talks scheduled with various parties, including Ukraine and Russia. And I think those discussions are actually going pretty well,” he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

On Friday, Trump refused to say whether he had spoken directly with Putin and wouldn’t detail who in his administration had begun talks with Moscow, though he insisted the two sides were “already talking” and had engaged in “very serious” discussions.

Speaking with Fox News on Friday, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg said, “Everybody is pulling together” on ending the three-year-long war in Ukraine.

“It’s important because we realize it is actually in our national security interest to get this war resolved,” Kellogg said. “When you look at the money the United States has provided, which is over $174 billion, when you look at the alliance that has now formed with Russia, with North Korea, with China and Iran – that wasn’t there before.”

Ukrainian infantrymen with the 28th Brigade take cover along the frontline on March 5, 2023, outside of Bakhmut, Ukraine. (John Moore/Getty Images)

TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE’S ZELENSKYY IS READY TO NEGOTIATE A DEAL TO END WAR WITH RUSSIA

Despite the U.S. pledge to send Ukraine more than $175 billion worth of military aid, Zelenskyy said over the weekend that Ukraine hasn’t received anywhere near this much support, telling the Associated Press that in terms of military aid, Kyiv has only received some $75 billion worth.

It remains unclear where the remainder $100 billion in military support has gone, and the White House did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s questions on the matter.

Kellogg also told Fox News that Trump “will lead” the negotiations and said, “I think most people should be very comfortable in the fact that he knows exactly what he’s doing. He knows where to apply pressure, where not to apply pressure. But more importantly, that he will create leverage, leverage both with Ukrainians and the Russians.”

The special envoy didn’t specify how Trump will apply this pressure to both Moscow and Kyiv, though Putin and Zelenskyy have made clear that negotiating on Ukraine joining the NATO alliance is a non-starter.

Zelenskyy argued Trump could get Putin to the negotiating table by threatening to increase sanctions on Russia’s energy and banking systems, along with continued military aid to Ukraine.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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The Ukrainian president also argued that Trump should back Ukraine’s push to join the NATO security alliance as it would be the “cheapest” option for Ukraine’s allies.

Ukraine’s admittance into the NATO alliance would likely protect Kyiv against the threat of another Russian invasion, as it would grant the country security guarantees under Article Five, which says an attack on one nation “shall be considered an attack against them all.”

However, Putin has long threatened nuclear escalation should Ukraine be granted admittance to the international security alliance.

Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news.

February 3, 2025
Trump demands Putin end war in Ukraine or face tariffs on Russian imports

Trump senior advisor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro discusses the battle over TikTok and bringing ‘prosperity’ to the U.S. on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on Russian imports to the U.S. if a deal isn’t struck soon to end the war in Ukraine.

“I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin – and this despite the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process.”

Trump continued, “All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”

TRUMP PLANS 10% TARIFFS ON CHINESE IMPORTS ON FEB. 1

President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States in Washington, D.C., on Monday. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with!” Trump said. “We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’ NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!”

Trump was asked in the Oval Office on Tuesday evening if he would add additional sanctions on Russia if Russian President Vladimir Putin did not negotiate a ceasefire deal with Ukraine soon.

“Sounds likely,” Trump responded, adding: “The war should have never started. If you had a competent president, which you didn’t, the war wouldn’t have happened. The war in Ukraine would have never happened if I were president.”

“Russia never would have gone into Ukraine. I had a very strong understanding with Putin that it would have never, ever happened,” Trump told reporters. “He disrespected Biden. Very simple. He disrespects people. He’s smart. He understands. He disrespected Biden.”

On whether the U.S. would continue sending military aid to Ukraine, Trump argued that America was contributing about $200 billion more to Kyiv than the European Union.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during Russian-Iranian meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Friday. (Contributor/Getty Images / Getty Images)

RUSSIA SOUNDS OFF ON TRUMP’S THREAT TO RETAKE THE PANAMA CANAL

“We’re talking to [Ukrainian President Voldymyr] Zelenskyy. We’re going to be talking with President Putin very soon. And we’ll see how it all happens,” Trump said, adding, “I do feel the European Union should be paying a lot more than they’re paying… It affects them more than it affects us. We have an ocean in between, right?”

“The European Union should equalize. We’re in there for $200 billion more than the European Union. I mean, what are we, stupid? I guess the answer is yes, because they must think so,” he said.

The president was also asked when he would meet with Putin.

“Anytime they want, I’ll meet. I’d like to see that end,” Trump told reporters. “Millions of people are being killed — It’s a vicious situation. And now, largely soldiers. A lot of people have been killed in the cities. They look like demolition sites, buildings, massive buildings bombed and coming down. The thing with Ukraine is that many more people died than you’re reporting.”

Ukrainian soldiers from the 28th Infantry Brigade take part in tactical training exercises wearing gas masks in a rural area of Ukraine as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues on Tuesday. (Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Trump estimated that Russia has lost approximately 800,000 soldiers, and between 600,000 to 700,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the conflict.

His comments echo those he made a day earlier from the Oval Office when he accused Putin of “destroying Russia.”

“I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal,” Trump told reporters Monday hours after his inauguration. “I think Russia’s going to be in big trouble. You take a look at their economy. You take a look at the inflation in Russia. So I would — I would hope, I get along with him great, and you know, I would hope he wants to make a deal.”

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On Tuesday, Putin’s foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters that Moscow was “taking into account” Trump’s comments in the Oval Office, and the Russians are “ready and open for a dialogue with the new U.S. administration on the Ukraine conflict,” according to The New York Times.

“If the relevant signals come in from Washington, then we’ll pick them up and will be ready to hold negotiations,” Ushakov reportedly added.

January 23, 2025