Trump says he spoke to Putin about the Ukraine war
President Trump said he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine and other issues.
“We both reflected on the Great History of our Nations,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social social media platform.
“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now,” he said.
The comments came Wednesday as Trump’s new defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, laid out the administration’s ideas about European defense and the war in Ukraine in a meeting in Brussels.
Hegseth said the United States will no longer be “primarily focused” on European security, saying Europe should take on greater responsibility for its own defense, particularly when it comes to support for Ukraine.
He also said the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO and the restoration of Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders were “unrealistic.”
“The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,” he said.
Hegseth was speaking to Ukraine’s backers gathered for a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
Danielle Kurtzleben contributed reporting from Washington, D.C., Teri Schultz from Brussels and Willem Marx from London.
‘Where’s our money?’ CDC grant funding is moving so slowly layoffs are happening
The state and local health departments that rely on CDC funding say the money is not coming in on time and no one can tell them why. Some are laying off staff.
Israel’s leaders slam a news report on a Gaza ‘killing field’ near food sites
Israel's prime minister denounced a report in Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoting Israeli soldiers saying commanders ordered them to fire at unarmed crowds near food distribution sites.
In an about-face, Germany plans to build Europe’s biggest military
A new Trump presidency and the Ukraine war have pushed Germany to change its constitution to spend more on its military. "Building up our military is our top priority," said Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Slain Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman to be laid to rest in private funeral service
The Minnesota lawmaker was killed during a string of attacks against Democratic elected officials in the state.
Where the Voting Rights Act stands after the Supreme Court punts on a Louisiana case
The Supreme Court delayed ruling on a Louisiana congressional redistricting case that some legal experts say could end up further weakening protections against maps that dilute minority voters' power.
Big beautiful bottleneck: Trump’s high-stakes week at home and abroad
From trade talks to the fate of his legislative agenda, what happens over the next 10 days or so, domestically and abroad, could come to define Trump's presidency.
