AMERICAN authorities are reportedly travelling to Saudi Arabia to kick off peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
It comes just days after Donald Trump called Vladimir Putin to discuss a potential end to the bloody war.
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Putin has agreed the “war must end” after Donald Trump went past Ukraine and European leaders to do business directly with the Kremlin.
The pair are expected to meet in Saudi Arabia soon.
Trump also held a phone call with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to the “next steps” of the conflict.
National security adviser Mike Waltz and special envoy Steve Witkoff are on their way to Saudi to kick off the proceedings of the peace talks, Sky News reports.
more on Russia-Ukraine war
Zelensky said it was fair that America could talk to Russia but any peace deal involving Ukraine had to have Ukraine’s input.
Knowledge of the direct call between Trump and Putin “was not pleasant for me”, he said.
The US rolled over to Russia before negotiations had even started following Putin and Trump’s positive chat.
Over the past few days, those close to The White House have said Ukraine won’t be allowed to go back to its 2014 borders before the annexing of Crimea.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has also been adamant that there is no chance Ukraine would be allowed to join Nato.
Zelensky told global leaders in Munich he is refusing to accept that Ukraine won’t be allowed a Nato membership.
He even said the organisation needs to stop allowing Putin to dictate things on his terms and instead help Ukraine to prevent a wider war from breaking out in Europe.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s special envoy said that European leaders will not have a place at the negotiating table in discussion to end the Ukraine war.
Retired general Keith Kellogg said the negotiations would be between Russia and Ukraine with Mr Trump acting as a mediator – but Europe would still be able to have an input.
“To think that he’s going to do this alone is wrong, we never said that,” Mr Kellogg told the Munich Security Conference.
Zelensky has already met with US Vice President JD Vance at the security conference.
They spoke together alongside Washington and Kyiv delegations as they discussed the latest developments in the bloody conflict.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has said he won’t accept any peace deal unless his country is given security guarantees.
Speaking in Germany today, Zelensky proposed a new plan to achieve safety for Ukraine going forward.
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Zelensky spoke about his ambitions to create a continental military force at the Munich Security Conference – as he blasted Vladimir Putin as a “liar, weak and predictable”.
He said: “Many leaders have talked about Europe and that needs its own military, an army of Europe and I believe the time has come.
“The Armed Forces of Europe must be created.
“Without Ukraine’s army, Europe’s army’s will not be enough to stop Russia.
“Only our army in Europe has real, modern battlefield experience but our army alone is not enough too.
“And we need what you can provide weapons, training, sanctions, financing, political pressure and unity.”
The Ukrainian president said Europe should be looking to create such a military separate from Nato in case “America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it”.
He added that after three years of fighting, Ukraine has managed to build up the foundations of a European army and should now act on it.
“As we fight this war and lay the groundwork for peace and security we must build the Armed Forces of Europe so that Europe’s future depends only on Europeans and decisions about Europe are made in Europe,” he said.
“Europe has everything it takes but it needs to come together.
“We need confidence in our own friends so that others have no choice but to respect Europe’s power and without a European army that is impossible.”
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Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk appeared to support Zelensky’s calls as he said Europe urgently needs a plan for security.
He said he fears “global players will decide” Europe’s future if they don’t prepare.
The calls for a united force on the continent come as disagreements over Ukraine’s potential Nato membership continue to rage on.
Ukraine has wanted to be a part of Nato for years – an issue that helped spark Vlad’s initial invasion three years ago.
This would give them protection from any foreign forces as an attack on a Nato country would result in a counter-strike conducted by the remaining nations.
Moscow has constantly said they will not allow Ukraine to join the alliance with Putin vowing to continue his assault until he is given these assurances.
The US has also been accused of rolling over to Russia before negotiations had even started following Putin and Trump’s positive chat.
Over the past few days, those close to The White House have said Ukraine won’t be allowed to go back to its 2014 borders before the annexing of Crimea.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has also been adamant that there is no chance Ukraine would be allowed to join Nato.
Zelensky told global leaders in Munich he is refusing to accept that Ukraine won’t be allowed a Nato membership.
He even said the organisation needs to stop allowing Putin to dictate things on his terms and instead help Ukraine to prevent a wider war from breaking out in Europe.
What is Trump’s Ukraine plan?
TRUMP has already revealed he has a concrete plan in place to end the war and hopes to finalise it “fast.”
Before he took office last month, Trump ambitiously vowed to find a resolution within days.
Any new deal is said to involve Putin stopping in his tracks and finally putting to an end Russia’s steadily advancing front line.
European soldiers, including Brits, could then be used to guarantee Putin doesn’t invade again by policing a demilitarised zone.
Crucially for Trump and Putin’s relationship, this wouldn’t include American soldiers, say reports.
In return, Ukraine would be barred from joining Nato and would have to declare neutrality.
The country could still join the EU in 2030, and Trump would want the bloc to drive Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction.
The US would continue to support Ukraine’s military, but Kyiv would have to accept Russian ownership of the land Moscow has seized.
The alleged outline for peace was leaked to Ukrainian news outlet Strana – but Zelensky’s office slammed it as Russian disinformation.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed a potential deal on Wednesday at a meeting of Ukraine’s military allies at the Nato headquarters in Brussels.
He said a return to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders before Vlad’s illegal invasion was unrealistic – meaning Russia would be able to keep the land it has stolen.
Hegseth added that his administration doesn’t see any circumstance where Kyiv would be allowed to join Nato.
His speech was regarded as the bluntest statement made by the US on how they believe the conflict can be stopped so far.
