Several NATO allies stressed that Ukraine and Europe must not be cut out of any peace talks, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied that the U.S. is betraying Ukraine.

Trump spoke on the phone to Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the conflict, a development that caught Europe by surprise. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced, als

President Trump's surprise phone call with Vladimir Putin, just hours later, only added salt to the wound. Why it matters: Europe has been bracing for this moment since the early days of Trump's 2024 campaign.

Fox News host Shannon Bream confronted U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after Russian President Vladimir Putin planned to take a "victory lap" because the Kremlin believes President Donald Trump "abandoned Ukraine.

Two of President Donald Trump’s top advisers declined to describe Russia as the aggressor in the war in Ukraine, as the administration seeks Vladimir Putin’s support for a peace deal.

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins questioned White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on any pre-conditions around a possible Trump-Putin meeting and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments about Ukraine’s NATO membership.

Vice President JD Vance issued a stark warning to Russia, threatening the potential deployment of U.S. troops to Ukraine—a move that directly undercut Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who was forced into an embarrassing reversal on his earlier remarks.

Several NATO allies stressed on Thursday that Ukraine and Europe must not be cut out of any peace negotiations as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied that the United States is betraying the war-ravaged country.

Donald Trump today said he and Vladimir Putin had agreed to start peace talks in Russia’s war on Ukraine. Meanwhile, new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said it was unrealistic for Ukraine to recover all of the land it has lost since Russia invaded in 2014.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday brushed off European complaints that President Trump’s surprise one-on-one talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin amounted to a betrayal of Ukraine and stood by his comments a day earlier that it was unrealistic for Kyiv to expect a peace deal to return all the land it had lost since Russia invaded nearly three years ago.

Hegseth seems to have given up two main points to Russian President Vladimir Putin, including a key piece of leverage in future negotiations to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. One of Putin’s major complaints about Ukraine has been the prospect of the country joining NATO along with the rest of Eastern Europe.