US defense secretary: Trump created conditions for Ukraine peace talks

In a recent interview with Fox News, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that former President Donald Trump laid the groundwork for a potential peaceful resolution in Ukraine—an outcome that, according to Hegseth, “no one will be fully satisfied with.”

Hegseth emphasised that, apart from Trump, “no one else could have created the conditions that led to such a meeting,” as reported by Caliber.Az.

“During Joe Biden’s presidency, violence and war raged on, and Putin never took him seriously enough to even consider talks. President Trump changed the game by setting the stage for possible negotiations, which had been his goal from the start,” Hegseth explained.

He expressed confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin “would not have agreed to a meeting without feeling pressure.”

“There is a chance now. The president defined the parameters... On the negotiation table, there could be territorial exchanges, concessions. No one will be happy. But if anyone can do it, it’s President Trump,” Hegseth added.

On August 15, Putin and Trump are scheduled to meet in Alaska. The main topic of the talks is peace in Ukraine. Proposed ideas may include territorial exchanges and Ukraine’s renunciation of NATO membership. Against this backdrop, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the country’s constitution excludes any territorial concessions.

By Khagan Isayev