---
title: "Trump: not practical for Ukraine to join NATO, get back all land"
description: "WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he did not think it was practical for Ukraine to join NATO and that it was unlikely Ukraine will get back all of its land."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Ukraine war"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-12-trump-not-practical-for-ukraine-to-join-nato-get-back-all-land/"
published: "2025-02-12T23:26:08"
updated: "2025-02-12T23:44:59"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 187
---

# Trump: not practical for Ukraine to join NATO, get back all land

> WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he did not think it was practical for Ukraine to join NATO and that it was unlikely Ukraine will get back all of its land.

By Reuters · Published 13 February 2025, 01:26 SAST · Updated 13 February 2025, 01:44 SAST

## Key points
- In a diplomatic twist that could rival a reality TV plot, Trump has dialed up both Putin and Zelenskiy to discuss Ukraine, hinting at a future rendezvous in Saudi Arabia—because nothing says peace talks like a desert backdrop and a side of oil diplomacy.
- Trump engages in diplomatic talks with Putin and Zelenskiy regarding the Ukraine conflict, marking a significant step in his foreign policy.
- Future meeting between Trump and Putin likely to take place in Saudi Arabia, as both leaders express interest in further discussions.
- Conversations lasted over an hour each, with Trump describing his dialogue with Putin as productive.
- Kremlin confirms plans for a Trump visit to Moscow, amidst ongoing tensions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

## Content

Trump discussed the [war in Ukraine](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/donald-trump/) on Wednesday in phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in the US president's first big step toward diplomacy in a conflict he has promised to end.

Trump said he and Putin expect to meet in the future, probably in Saudi Arabia.

Trump described his call with Putin as a good conversation and said it lasted over an hour. He made the remarks to reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

Zelensky's office said Trump and Zelensky spoke by phone for about an hour, while the Kremlin said Putin's call with Trump lasted nearly an hour and a half.

The Kremlin said Putin and Trump had agreed to meet, and Putin had invited Trump to visit Moscow.

There had been speculation the two leaders would meet in a third country, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates seen as possible venues, according to Russian sources.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It had annexed Crimea in 2014.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose; writing by Kanishka Singh in Washington, Editing by Franklin Paul and Rod Nickel)