Today's News: Trump Administration Advances Ukraine Peace Talks with Russia, Excluding European Allies

The US is moving forward with high-level peace talks to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war. Zelensky has expressed strong opposition to any deal that does not include Ukraine.

The Newsie Project is an experiment using AI tools to survey contemporary reporting. It attempts to summarize, compare, and contrast the reporting of the major US online news sources.

Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/AFP/Getty Images

Overview

• Date: February 17, 2025

• Topic: Trump Administration Advances Ukraine Peace Talks with Russia, Excluding European Allies

• Summary: The Trump administration is moving forward with high-level U.S.-Russia peace talks in Saudi Arabia, aiming to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war. European leaders, alarmed by their exclusion, held an emergency meeting in Paris to coordinate a response. President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed strong opposition to any U.S.-Russia deal that does not include Ukraine. The negotiations also sparked controversy over a proposed U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal, with Kyiv resisting American demands. Trump’s approach signals a major shift in U.S. foreign policy, raising concerns about NATO unity and European security.

Sources

• CNN: Trump offers key concessions to Putin ahead of Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia

• The New York Times: European Leaders Meet in Paris as U.S. Pushes Ahead With Ukraine Plan

• NBC News: European leaders gather for emergency meeting after Trump shuts them out of Ukraine talks

• Fox News: Zelenskyy not yet signing US economic agreement 'short-sighted,' White House official says

• The Washington Post: Top Russian and U.S. officials to meet in Riyadh over Ukraine war

• The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Gears Up for Highest-Profile Russia Talks Since Ukraine Invasion

Key Points

• The Trump administration is leading U.S.-Russia peace talks in Saudi Arabia, excluding Ukraine and European nations.

• European leaders, alarmed at their exclusion, held an emergency meeting in Paris to coordinate a response.

• Zelensky has strongly opposed any peace deal negotiated without Ukraine’s direct involvement.

• The U.S. has proposed an economic agreement allowing American access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, which Zelensky has resisted.

• Trump has signaled a shift in U.S. foreign policy, focusing on direct negotiations with Russia while pressuring Europe to take on more security responsibilities.

Unique Highlights

• CNN highlighted that Trump’s approach has ended Putin’s international isolation and fractured Western unity on Ukraine.

• The New York Times reported on European leaders scrambling to form a coordinated security response, including discussions of a European peacekeeping force.

• NBC News noted that French President Macron has suggested appointing a European special envoy for Ukraine peace talks.

• Fox News revealed details of the U.S. minerals deal proposal, which seeks compensation from Ukraine in exchange for U.S. aid.

• The Washington Post reported that the U.S.-Russia talks are being framed as a step toward normalizing relations between Washington and Moscow.

• The Wall Street Journal emphasized that Trump personally believes Putin is eager to end the war and that European leaders fear the U.S. will negotiate away Ukrainian territory.

Contrasting Details

• CNN and NBC News framed Trump’s approach as undermining Ukraine and NATO, while Fox News and The Wall Street Journal portrayed it as a strategic effort to secure peace.

• The Washington Post noted that Ukraine would not be included in the initial talks, whereas Fox News suggested that Zelensky would eventually be brought in.

• Fox News framed Zelensky’s refusal to sign the U.S. minerals deal as “short-sighted,” while The New York Times and CNN highlighted concerns that the deal would favor U.S. interests without securing guarantees for Ukraine.

• The Wall Street Journal reported that European leaders were concerned about being sidelined, but Fox News downplayed these concerns, citing U.S. assurances that Europe would be involved in later negotiations.

---

This is an evolving project. Tools, approaches, and output formats will change over time. The Newsie Project does not attempt to provide a definitive capsule of any news story. While the incidence of errors in these summaries is low, and I attempt to spot-check details, AI tools can hallucinate. Please click through and read the articles for details (some may be paywalled).