While Ukraine presses a role in peace talks in Russia, Trump offers a cleansing

On Thursday, President Trump offered to purify that Ukraine will participate in negotiations to end the war with Russia, a day after his statements left this possibility in doubt and officials of Kiev and Ukraine are European and Ukraine with the possibility of being excluded from peace talks.

“Of course they will do,” Mr. Trump said in response to a question from a reporter at the Oval Office in Washington about whether Ukraine will have a place on the table. “I mean, they are part of it. We will have Ukraine, we will have Russia, and we will have other people as well.”

On Thursday, European leaders demanded a role in any discussions between Mr. Trump and President Vladimir F. Putin is from Russia to end the conflict, the negotiations that can set the conditions for peace and redrawing the map of Europe.

Some of the closest allies of the United States, including Britain and Germany, are among those who assert that Ukraine – and their countries – have the right to be at the negotiating table.

“Europe should participate in the negotiations – and I think this is easy to understand,” said Boris Pisorius, Germany’s Minister of Defense. He said that the continent “will have to live directly” with the consequences of any deal, and may have “playing a central or major role in the matter of peace.”

Mr. Pisorius and other NATO defense ministers said at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday, a day after the American Defense Minister Beit Higseth said that returning to Ukraine borders before 2014 would be “non -protective”, and Mr. Trump “Trump” held a call A lengthy phone with Mr. Putin, which indicated a possible willingness to make concessions to Russia, which Kiev considered unacceptable.

The comments of Mr. Trump and Mr. Higseth indicated that the United States may expect Ukraine to abandon part of its lands that Russia has now seized, as well as its goal of becoming a member of NATO, which Russia is strongly opposed. But some European officials argued on Thursday against surrender prematurely to these issues, because they will be decisive compromise segments in any deal.

On Thursday evening, during a White House press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Trump continued doubts about NATO membership in Ukraine. When asked what Russia should give up in a deal to end the war, he answered the pretext that the war will not start in its hour. “Maybe Russia will give up a lot, maybe you will not do it,” he said.

When Mr. Trump said on Wednesday that Mr. Putin from Russia had started talks to end the war, he did not refer to any Ukraine participating in the negotiations – an omission that led to an alarm throughout the nations allied with Ukraine in Europe that Kiev would be marginalized in this process.

After talking on the phone with Mr. Putin – then he spoke with President Voludimir Zellinski from Ukraine – Mr. Trump suggested that the borders could be redrawn and that NATO membership in Ukraine would be unrealistic.

Mr. Trump also said that mutual visits with Mr. Putin were likely to be. He said: Saudi Arabia, Peace talks may host. The Kremlin spokesman said on Thursday that Russia believes that a meeting between Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump should happen “somewhat quickly”, but it is too early to discuss dates.

Mr. Zellinski, whose reaction was on Thursday to Trump Putin’s phone call, argued that his country should participate in talks about its fate.

“As a sovereign country, we will not be able to simply accept any agreements without us,” he told reporters in Ukraine. He said that “unpleasant”, Ukraine was not notified of the call.

Later on Thursday afternoon, Mr. Trump said that he gave Mr. Putin and Mr. Zellinski and that he believed that Mr. Putin wanted peace.

“I think he will tell me if he does not,” said Mr. Trump.

The news of Mr. Trump’s initiative to end the war across Europe, from gilded power halls in Western Europe to muddy trenches on the front line of the war. In Russia, the financial markets rose, the ruble jumped, and the joy of business leaders in Moscow.

The new American agenda was not a little surprise for European leaders – Mr. Trump was clear about his views on the war in Ukraine – but the surprise of the shift in the American position was amazing. Many in Europe trembled with the possibility of a renewed Russian influence on the continent and Ukraine.

This American position on Ukraine risked to strain some of the most powerful alliances across the Atlantic Ocean.

In Britain, where support for Ukraine crosses the political spectrum, Prime Minister Kiir Starmer signed last month on what Britain called Defense Agreement 100 years With Ukraine, it provides 3 billion pounds ($ 3.7 billion) annually of aid for the foreseeable future.

Now, British leaders must weigh their support for Ukraine against determination Cultivation of a friendly relationship With Mr. Trump.

“Let’s not forget, Russia is still a threat beyond Ukraine,” said John Healy, Britain’s defense minister on Thursday. He added: “There can be no negotiation on Ukraine without Ukraine.”

Mr. Higseth focused his statements at the NATO meeting in Brussels on the invitation of European countries to spend more on defense. He said that America’s allies should “make NATO great again.”

“President Trump will not allow anyone to turn uncle Sam to the uncle’s lollipop,” he said at a press conference after the meeting on Thursday. He also criticized the comments of European leaders about giving priority to their values. He said: “Values ​​are important, but you cannot photograph the values.”

The Trump administration’s boost comes to start negotiations to end the war at a time diminishing expectations to resolve the military to the conflict.

Russia’s multi -side attack across eastern Ukraine It has decreased since NovemberWith the Kremlin forces occupied only an additional 19 miles so far this month, according to the Deep State group, a group that analyzes combat videos and has close ties with the Ukrainian army.

Russian army It is also struggling to expel the Ukrainian soldiers From a segment of Russian territory in the western Kursk region, despite the commission of tens of thousands of fighters and reinforcements from North Korea to the campaign.

Russia and Ukraine are both It seeks to replace the soldiers That was killed or injured in the battlefield. The Russian government has provided increasing rewards and salaries to attract new recruits, a financial cycle that contributes to destabilizing the Russian economy. Ukraine, for its part, resort to more dramatic packing tactics to compensate for the decline in volunteers.

In Ukraine, the soldiers received the news of Mr. Trump’s initiative with a mixture of fear and resignation. Lieutenant Fadum Balok said he was afraid of his country.

“If we stop fighting now, Trump will give the opportunity to stop the flow of weapons and ammunition for us.” “This will allow Putin to build his army – and within two years, he could have seized Ukraine very easily.”

Amid the possibility of peace talks, the war continues in anger. Russia shot down two bombs on the city of Kamurorsk, in the eastern Ukrainian Donetsk region, according to the Ukrainian Public Prosecutor’s Office. The prosecutor said that the bombs killed a 46 -year -old man and wounded five other people.

Some civilians in Ukraine said they are desperate until the war stops. On a blurring winter morning in Kiev, the capital, the square was in front of the Monastery of St. Michael, who was golden to go to the soldiers who came to the cathedral for the funeral of the fallen companion.

The funeral monitoring of Oilxander Lebon, 63, lived in Lukeianvka, a region of the capital to which the Russian army is often exposed. He said about the war: “I want to finally end.”

Yulia Lopnetsov, 41, also expressed the head of the Ballet Dancers’ Federation, its hope for peace negotiations. “I understand that we will not restore our lands because we have not left us to fight,” she said. “There are less of us, much less, so negotiations can only help.”

But near the confrontation line, Ukrainian soldiers said they felt isolation and abandoning them. A soldier who knew himself through the Kocubaka brand, after the military protocol, said that although the forces were stressful, negotiating with Russia felt “very painful” so that she did not think about it.

He said: “We know that in the end, we will only fight for our freedom, for our independence.” “We will continue to fight, because there is no other option.”

Reports previously contributed Mark Landlerand Maria Varinkovaand Anatoly Kormyevand Evan Nichiburnkoand continuous Hank Sanders.