Trump: Ukraine may eventually become Russian VIDEO

US President Donald Trump has suggested that Ukraine "may eventually become Russian" as his vice president, JD Vance, prepares to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later this week.

Trump emphasised the need to bring an end to the nearly three-year war with Russia, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Trump on Ukraine: “They may be Russian some day, or they may not be Russian someday.”

F you, Donald. Ukraine is a proud, independent nation, and it will NEVER be part of Russia.
pic.twitter.com/ZZOeu4X38v

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) February 11, 2025

“They may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday,” he said. 

Trump also highlighted the importance of getting a return on US aid to Ukraine, proposing a deal in exchange for access to Kyiv's natural resources, including rare minerals.

“We are going to have all this money in there, and I say I want it back. And I told them that I want the equivalent, like $500bn worth of rare earth,” Trump said. “And they have essentially agreed to do that, so at least we don’t feel stupid.”

Trump confirmed that he would soon send his special envoy, Keith Kellogg, to Ukraine to draft a proposal aimed at ending the fighting. Trump is pushing for a quick resolution to the conflict, while Zelenskyy is demanding strong security guarantees from Washington as part of any agreement with Russia. Kyiv fears that any peace deal lacking solid military commitments, such as NATO membership or the deployment of peacekeeping forces, will only give the Kremlin time to regroup and rearm for another assault.

Zelenskyy’s spokesperson, Sergiy Nikiforov, told Agence France-Presse that the Ukrainian president is set to meet with Vance during the Munich Security Conference. A source in Zelenskyy’s office confirmed that Kellogg would arrive in Ukraine on February 20, although the exact locations of his visit were not disclosed. His trip will coincide with the three-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion on February 24. Zelenskyy reiterated the need for "real peace and effective security guarantees" for Ukraine.

“Security of people, security of our state, security of economic relations and, of course, our resource sustainability: not only for Ukraine, but for the entire free world,” he said. “All of this is being decided now,” Zelenskyy added in a video address published on social media.

Trump has expressed his desire to broker an end to the war but has not provided a detailed proposal to bring both sides to the negotiating table. Both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin have previously ruled out direct talks with each other, and there seems to be little common ground for a potential agreement. Putin is demanding that Ukraine withdraw from large parts of its south and east that Kyiv still controls, and he considers closer ties between Ukraine and NATO unacceptable. 

On the other hand, Zelenskyy has rejected any territorial concessions to Moscow, though he has acknowledged that Ukraine may need to rely on diplomatic efforts to regain some of its territory. Russia claims to have annexed five Ukrainian regions – Crimea in 2014 and then Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia in 2022 – although it does not fully control them. Zelenskyy stated that a meeting with Trump is being arranged, though no date has been set.

Trump, meanwhile, mentioned last week that he would “probably” meet Zelenskyy in the coming days, but ruled out personally traveling to Kyiv. The New York Post reported that Trump had spoken on the phone with Putin to discuss ending the conflict in Ukraine, with the Russian leader telling him he “wants to see people stop dying.” 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to confirm or deny the call. Organizers of the highly anticipated Munich Security Conference confirmed that Zelenskyy would attend the summit from February 14-16. The US delegation will include Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Marco Rubio, as well as Kellogg and Vance, conference chair Christoph Heusgen announced in Berlin. There will be no representatives from the Russian government, Heusgen added.

By Naila Huseynova