The New York Times notes that the negotiations launched by Trump will determine the future of Ukraine, while "part of its territory will probably remain under Russian occupation".
Telephone conversation between US President Donald Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin marked the end of American efforts to diplomatically isolate Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.
The New York Times writes about this.
“Trump described the conversation as the beginning of talks to end the war — without a clear role for Ukrainian President Zelensky“, — the article notes.
The publication also recalled that before this, the Trump Administration demanded $500 billion in rights to Ukrainian minerals and canceled Ukraine's exemption from American duties on steel. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Ukraine's return to the borders that were before the Russian military invasion of 2014, as well as its accession to NATO, are “unrealistic”.
The New York Times called all this “alarming signals for Zelensky”, stating that such a warming in relations between the US and Russia “puts Ukraine in a difficult position”.
It is indicated that the negotiations launched by Trump will determine the future Ukraine, “part of its territory will probably remain under Russian occupation.”
Separately, as the NYT writes, the negotiations will also determine Zelensky's political future.
“He has no choice but to agree to American-led talks despite his deep skepticism, shared by most Ukrainians, about Putin's willingness to negotiate without imposing onerous conditions or increasing military and economic pressure,” the article says.
The publication notes that Ukraine is entering the negotiations with “one small lever”: control over territories in Russia's Kursk region. Zelensky has already said that he wants to exchange these territories for Russian-held Ukrainian lands, which the Kremlin has rejected.
The NYT added that “any delay by Ukraine in accepting the cease-fire terms could cost Kiev territory if the momentum of the active advance of Russian troops were to continue.” However, according to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia's progress has slowed since November 2024.
Recall that US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, February 12, that he had agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Despite this, Trump assured that he would continue to provide assistance to Ukraine, otherwise “Putin would think he won.”
On February 12, Trump held a telephone conversation with Putin, after which he said that he was against Ukraine's membership in NATO; considers it unlikely that the state will return to the 2014 borders and refused to directly answer whether it considers Kyiv an equal participant in the negotiation process.
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