No NATO, No Pre-2014 Borders for Ukraine: Trump Faces Reality After Putin Call w/ Mark Sleboda (Rachel Blevins)

U.S. President Trump said he spoke to Russian President Putin on the phone in what he described as a “lengthy and highly productive” call, where the two leaders discussed a range of topics from the Ukraine war to the Middle East to artificial intelligence.

Ever since that call, Trump’s rhetoric has been more focused: he has acknowledged that Ukraine won’t return to its pre-2014 borders, and that Ukraine’s NATO bid is “unrealistic” and part of what provoked Russia in 2022.

International Relations and Security Analyst Mark Sleboda noted that while we are seeing some progress, it’s important to remember that this conflict won’t be solved over night, and it’s not even likely that we’re going to see a resolution from the in-person talks Trump and Putin are planning right now. At the end of the day, Russia is still actively winning the war, so it doesn’t need a deal.



[Posted at the SpookyWeather2 blog, February 15, 2025.]