Russia and Putin · Second term · № 90
Said NATO membership for Ukraine was not practical on the day of his first call with Putin
“I don't think it's practical to have it, personally. I know that our new Secretary of Defense, who is excellent, Pete, made a statement today saying that he thinks it's unlikely or impractical. I think probably that's true.”
- Said
- , Oval Office exchange with reporters, the White House
- Subject
- Ukraine NATO membership
- Type
- Ukraine
- Topic
- Ukraine & Russia
- Era
- Second term
What happened
On February 12, 2025, Trump announced a "lengthy and highly productive" phone call with Putin and said the two had agreed to have their teams start negotiations immediately. The same day Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a meeting of Ukraine's allies that Kyiv should not expect to get all its territory back and would not be allowed to join NATO. Asked in the Oval Office whether Ukraine could return to its pre-2014 borders, Trump said that "certainly would seem to be unlikely." When a reporter said both points were demands Russia had made in the past, he answered, "I'm just here to try and get peace." Germany's defense minister, Boris Pistorius, said the United States should not have made concessions to Russia before negotiations began. Trump repeated the position at a Cabinet meeting on February 26, saying, "NATO, you can forget about."
Sources
- Remarks During a Swearing-in Ceremony for Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence and an Exchange with Reporters
- Statement on the President's Telephone Conversation With President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin of Russia
- In phone call with Putin, Trump abruptly ends U.S. efforts to isolate Russia
- US should not have made concessions to Russia over Ukraine, says German minister
- Remarks Prior to and during a Cabinet Meeting and an Exchange With Reporters