Mon Feb 17 06:59:09 UTC 2025: ## Trump Seeks Direct Talks with Putin to End Ukraine War, Excluding Ukraine and Europe

**Washington, D.C. – February 18, 2025** – A dramatic shift in the Ukraine conflict emerged this week as U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans for direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, bypassing both Ukraine and its European allies. This move follows statements by newly appointed U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ruling out Ukrainian NATO membership and U.S. security guarantees for the country, effectively signaling a potential acceptance of Russia’s territorial gains since 2014.

Hegseth stated that the U.S. does not see NATO membership for Ukraine as a realistic outcome of negotiations, and any security guarantees would involve non-NATO forces, without U.S. troop deployment. This contradicts previous U.S. commitments under the Biden administration to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes.”

Trump’s initiative, reportedly agreed upon during a call with Putin, sparked immediate outrage in Kyiv. Zelenskyy’s government declared it would not accept any deal negotiated “behind our backs” and urged European nations to create a continental army. The proposed U.S.-Russia talks, expected to begin in Saudi Arabia this week, would leave Ukraine with no territorial gains and no NATO membership, jeopardizing its ability to continue the war.

This proposed bilateral deal represents a major shift in the transatlantic alliance, potentially jeopardizing decades-long cooperation between the U.S. and Europe. The exclusion of European partners from crucial negotiations raises serious questions about the future of the alliance forged after World War II. The announcement comes as President Trump made a visit to India, strengthening ties between the two countries, involving arms sales, extradition of the 26/11 accused, and ambitious trade goals.

Meanwhile, other international developments reported by *The Hindu* include Adani Green’s withdrawal from a Sri Lankan renewable energy project, concerns over China’s dam project impacting India, ongoing conflict in Congo involving the M23 rebels, and analysis of improved Bangladesh-Pakistan relations and potential impact of a freeze on USAID funding.

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