President Donald J. Trump‘s National Security Advisor has provided new details regarding a potential Russo-Ukrainian peace settlement, including the abandonment of efforts to absorb Ukraine into NATO and the relinquishing of some parts of the country to the Russian Federation. The revelation followed Fox News host Sean Hannity asking National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, “If I were to imagine how this deal unfolds, it’s gonna be the rare earth mineral deal, a component that keeps U.S. involvement and presence in Ukraine. Maybe European troops could be in Ukraine as well. I would imagine that Ukraine being a part of NATO is not gonna happen, and I would imagine that parts [of Ukraine]—maybe the Donbas region in particular or areas that are heavily populated by people from Russia—that would go to Putin in any negotiated settlement. Am I wrong in my conjecture here?”
“Sean, no surprise, you’re not wrong in any of that,” Waltz confirmed, adding that the Trump administration is “discussing all of those things with both sides.”
Following the Western-backed Euromaidan coup against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, the regional government in the mostly Russian-populated Crimean peninsula in Ukraine’s south and separatist elements in the Donbas region in Ukraine’s east declared independence. Crimea was later annexed to Russia, with two separatist-led Donbas republics following suit after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions have also been annexed. However, none of the claimed territories besides Crimea are fully under Russian control.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by President Trump earlier this week. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is currently achieving some significant breakthroughs on the battlefield, is more noncommital, at least for now.
WATCH:
HANNITY: I would imagine parts — maybe the Donbas region in particular — or areas that are heavily populated by people from Russia, that would go to Putin in any negotiated settlement. Am I wrong?
MIKE WALTZ: You’re not wrong in any of that pic.twitter.com/KAn57eZKW2
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 14, 2025