Pentagon chief: Trumpʼs talks with Putin are not a betrayal of Ukraine

The US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is convinced that President Donald Trumpʼs talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin are not a "betrayal" of Ukraine.

He made this statement before the start of a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, The Guardian reports.

Hegseth was asked if he thought the USʼs push for a speedy peace in Ukraine and talks with Putin could be seen as treason. He replied: "Thatʼs your speech, not mine. Of course, itʼs not treason."

The Pentagon chief praised Trump as “the best negotiator on the planet” for bringing both sides to the negotiating table. He believes that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was a “reset for NATO” and a moment of “realization that this Alliance must be strong, powerful and genuine”.

"Thatʼs why President Trump has called for increased defense spending across NATO, so that European countries recognize that this is an urgent, real threat to the continent. And this aggression should be a wake-up call," he said.

• On February 12, Trump called Putin and then Zelensky. After that, Trump announced that he was starting negotiations to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.
• After that, speaking to reporters, Trump suggested that he might meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia. When exactly is unknown, but the meeting could take place in the “near future”. Trump also made it clear that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would participate in the talks. However, Zelensky is unlikely to be invited to the meeting.

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