DONALD Trump has been warned against cutting a deal with tyrant Vladimir Putin ahead of talks to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The American has blindsided Ukraine and Europe’s leaders and appears ready to do business with the Kremlin directly and meet despot Vlad in Saudi Arabia.
European leaders have been left fuming that they and Ukraine appear to have been cut out of talks by Trump before the peace process even started to end the three-year-old war.
In a rebuke to the Americans, UK defence secretary John Healey warned: “There can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine and Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any talks.
“We all want to see a durable peace and no return to conflict and aggression – and let’s not forget, Russia remains a threat well beyond Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, the Kremlin appears to be popping the champagne at the prospect of winning the war.
Putin’s top crony Dmitry Medvedev has hailed Trump as stepping back from “apocalypse” as he celebrates the peace talks.
The former Russian President – who is mad Vlad’s top ally – gloated in a post on social media as he continued to push Russia’s false narrative that either it wins or there will be nuclear war.
Joe Biden backing Ukraine and waiting for Kyiv to lead peace negotiations was “a grave mistake,” Mevedev claimed, “which nearly wiped humanity off the face of the earth”.
While the exact details of the Trump and Putin’s deal remain unknown, it appears that America will acquiesce to Russia keeping Ukrainian land and prevent Kyiv from joining Nato – long a goal of the Kremlin.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has denied America is “betraying Ukraine” in doing business with Russia.
At a Nato meeting in Brussels in Thursday, he said: “There is a recognition that the whole world and the United States is invested and interested in peace, a negotiated peace, as President Trump has said, stopping the killing.”
Hegseth described the Ukraine conflict as “a factory reset for NATO, a realization that this alliance needs to be robust and strong and real”.
He went on to reiterate that European nations need to increase their defence spending.
Hegseth said: “There is a Russian war machine that has sought to take more and more land in Ukraine, and standing up against that is an important European responsibility.”
On Wednesday, Hegsesth said it was “unrealistic” for Ukraine to return to its 2014 borders before Putin invaded Crimea.
Whether Kyiv will accept the deal decided between Trump and Putin remains unknown.
How America is going about securing peace has created a split between the Nato allies in Washington DC and European capitals.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected any “dictated peace” and his defence minister said it was “regrettable” Washington was already making “concessions” to the Kremlin.
Nato chief Mark Rutte on Thursday said that it was crucial Kyiv is “closely involved” in any talks about what is happening in Ukraine.
In a follow-up post, Medvedev labelled Europe’s response to being cut out like a “frigid spinster” “mad with jealousy and rage”.
Relying on sexist tropes, Putin’s pal said Europe’s marginalised geopolitical role was like it having poor “chances of snagging a husband.”
He raged: “No wonder. Europe’s time is over. It’s weak, ugly and useless.”
Critics have warned against any repeat of the pre-WW2 policy of appeasement pushed by UK PM Neville Chamberlain where concessions were offered to Adolf Hitler.
Defence analyst and historian Paul Beaver yesterday told The Sun “Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize but all he is doing is signalling weakness.
“Ukraine has had many bad days and this is worse than others because their greatest ally appears to have sold them out.
“Putin will be celebrating the success of his aggression. I fear history is repeating itself with terrifying consequences.”
Putin has agreed the “war must end”, President Trump said following the call.
Trump didn’t confirm a date when the pivotal catch-up may happen but did say it would be “in the not too distant future”.
He also expects to visit Moscow and welcome Putin’s team to Washington during his second term in office.
“The first time, we’ll meet in Saudi Arabia, see if we get something done.
“We expect that he’ll come here, and I’ll go there, and we’re going to meet also, probably in Saudi Arabia,” Trump said.
On the phone call, Putin called for “common sense” to be applied to the conversations about ending the fighting.
The chat is believed to be Putin’s first confirmed direct contact with a US president since the start of the war in February 2022.
The call reportedly lasted for around an hour and a half, according to the Kremlin.
Trump also held a phone call with Ukraine’s Zelensky to agree to the “next steps” of the conflict.
Zelensky ideally wants Russia to totally withdraw and for Ukraine to not give away any land.
But Kyiv’s position has moderated and Zelensky has said Ukraine might not get all of its land back immediately.
Trump and Putin's relationship
Donald Trump has a history of positive and admiring comments about strongman Vladimir Putin.
They have long prompted criticism from his rivals that he is “soft on Russia”.
Trump rejects that, saying that no US president was ever tougher on Moscow and that a US president needs a relationship with the Russian leader.
Trump said he “got along great” with him during his first term where they met in person five times and nine publicly reported phone conversations.
Since the start of his second term, however, Trump has criticised Putin’s conduct of the “ridiculous” Ukraine war and said that the conflict is “destroying” Russia.
Trump has threatened more sanctions on Russia if it didn’t come to the negotiating table over Ukraine.
Zelenksy has also called for tough security guarantees from Washington as part of any deal with Russia.
Kyiv fears that any settlement that does not include hard military commitments it will just allow the Kremlin time to regroup and rearm for a fresh attack.
It cut a reported deal with America to give assess to its rare earth materials held beneath its soil in return for continued military support.
Trump’s announcement of his intention to meet Putin came just hours after US teacher Marc Fogel was freed from a Russian jail.
Fogel, 63, had been serving a brutal 14-year sentence after being caught with medically prescribed marijuana at a Moscow airport in 2021.
