Trump administration ‘wholeheartedly committed’ to Russia-Ukraine peace deal: White House

Published February 12,2025

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The Trump administration is “wholeheartedly committed” to a peace deal to finish the Russia-Ukraine conflict, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt mentioned Wednesday.

“I myself just spoke to the president about these calls, and he told me to tell all of you they were very good calls,” Leavitt advised reporters after President Donald Trump held separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“They were very positive, and the administration is wholeheartedly committed to a peace deal to end once and for all the Russia-Ukraine war,” she mentioned.

In his assertion after name with Putin, Trump mentioned he assigned Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Witkoff to guide the negotiations to finish the conflict.

Asked whyKeith Kellogg, Trump’s particular envoy for Ukraine and Russia, was absent from the record, Leavitt mentioned Kellogg stays a “critical part” of the group, including: “He’s played a tremendous role in getting the negotiations to this point, and he’s very much still part of the Trump administration.”

The calls got here after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth mentioned Wednesday that the Ukraine-Russia conflict “must end”, including that the US doesn’ imagine NATO membership for Ukraine is a “realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement”.

Asked a few potential go to between Washington and Moscow, Leavitt mentioned she does not have any choices to make on the President’s potential go to to Russia or any in individual assembly right now.

Asked if Trump views Putin as an ally or adversary, Leavitt mentioned: “I believe this nation views Putin and Russia as a great competitor in the region, at times, an adversary, but as the President has said, as well, he enjoys having good diplomatic relationships with leaders around the world, finding that common ground, also calling them out when they are wrong, and leading from a position of peace through strength.”