U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that he did not believe it was realistic for Ukraine to join NATO and that it was unlikely Ukraine would regain all of its lost territories.
Trump addressed the ongoing war in Ukraine during phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, marking his first major diplomatic effort in a conflict he has vowed to resolve.
Trump mentioned that he and Putin were likely to meet in the future, with Saudi Arabia being a probable location.
Describing his conversation with Putin, Trump said it was a positive exchange that lasted over an hour. He shared these comments with reporters on Wednesday afternoon.
Zelensky’s office confirmed that Trump and Zelensky spoke for about an hour, while the Kremlin reported that Trump’s call with Putin lasted nearly an hour and a half.
According to the Kremlin, Putin and Trump agreed to meet, with Putin extending an invitation for Trump to visit Moscow.
There had been speculation about the two leaders meeting in a third country, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates suggested as possible locations by Russian sources.
Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after annexing Crimea in 2014.
