President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin directly as his Defense Secretary said NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic.

Their remarks added to the anxiety, in Washington and across Europe, surrounding Trump’s plan to pursue a deal that would end the Russia-Ukraine war.

After being blindsided by US President Donald Trump’s call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, European leaders said they — and Ukraine — need to be part of any negotiation over Kyiv’s future. The biggest concern is that before any actual peace negotiations,

It comes after US President Donald Trump spoke to both the Ukrainian and Russian leaders, and suggested negotiations to end the war would follow.

British foreign minister David Lammy on Friday said he and U.S. Vice President JD Vance agreed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy must be part of any peace talks to end the war with Russia. "I was very encouraged in our conversations about Ukraine,

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that his US counterpart Donald Trump meeting Russian leader Vladimir Putin before him would be “dangerous,” as he admitted he had no guarantees from Trump that he would be first in line in peace talks.