According to the US defence secretary, Trump is not jeopardizing Ukraine by seeking a peace deal with Putin.

 
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s efforts to seek an end to the Ukraine war with Russian leader Vladimir Putin were “certainly not a betrayal” of Kyiv.

Kyiv and other countries on the continent were compelled by European powers to have a seat at the table for any future negotiations.

“There is no betrayal there. There is a recognition that the whole world and the United States is invested and interested in peace,” Hegseth said ahead of a meeting of NATO defence ministers.

“That will require both sides recognising things they don’t want to.”

On Wednesday, Trump was blindsided by Ukraine and Washington's European allies as he agreed to initiate peace talks in his first publicly announced phone call with Putin since returning to power.

Hegseth has laid out a string of expectations from Washington to halt the conflict, saying it was not realistic for Ukraine to regain all its land or become a member of NATO.

He has also said that Europe must now start providing the “overwhelming share” of aid to Ukraine and that the United States would not deploy troops as a security guarantee under any deal.

Germany's defense minister, Boris Pistorius, said that it was regrettable that Washington had made concessions to Russia before peace talks even started.

“In my view it would have been better to speak about a possible NATO membership for Ukraine or possible losses of territory at the negotiating table,” Pistorius said.

In a statement on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of key European powers including Germany, France, Poland, and Britain said that Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations.

NATO chief Mark Rutte on Thursday said that it is crucial that Kyiv is "closely involved" in any talks about what is happening in Ukraine.

Britain's defence secretary, John Healey, echoed that message, warning that there can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine, and Ukraine's voice must be at the heart of any talks.

Rutte insisted that any potential peace deal had to be enduring, pointing to similar comments made earlier by Hegseth.

European supporters of Kyiv are fearful that Trump could force Ukraine into a shoddy peace agreement that will leave them facing an emboldened Putin.

“Europe has to be part of these negotiations. It’s not a question at all,” said Estonian defence minister Hanno Pevkur.

“Europe is investing in Ukrainian defence, and Europe is rebuilding Ukraine with European Union money, with our bilateral aid — so we have to be there.”