**Breaking News: Trump and Putin Agree to Ukraine Peace Talks**
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where they agreed to start negotiations to end the war in Ukraine immediately. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said both leaders want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the conflict.
The two presidents spoke for 90 minutes and agreed to continue personal contacts, including arranging a face-to-face meeting. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin invited Trump to visit Moscow, where they will discuss areas of mutual interest, including the Ukrainian settlement.
**Moscow Rules Out Territory Exchange**
Earlier on Feb. 12, Moscow ruled out any discussion of exchanging territories in potential negotiations with Ukraine. The statement followed President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks in an interview with The Guardian, where he suggested Ukraine could cede territory it controls in Russia’s Kursk Oblast in exchange for Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.
**Ukraine Not Giving Up on NATO**
Despite the conflict, Ukraine is not giving up on its NATO aspirations. President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Economist that if denied an invitation to the alliance, Ukraine “must build NATO on its territory” by strengthening the military.
**Russia Uses Shadow Fleet to Bypass Sanctions**
Russia has resorted to a “shadow fleet” to transport oil and gas to get around Western sanctions and price caps. The Kyiv Independent reported that Elisabeth Braw, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative, spoke about the options available to the West.
**NATO Secretary General Warns Putin**
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned President Vladimir Putin that if he attacks NATO, “the reaction will be devastating. He will lose.”
**Russia Launches Missile Attack on Kyiv**
On Feb. 12, Russia launched a missile attack against Kyiv, killing one person and injuring four others, including a child.
**Ukraine’s Defense Minister Meets with U.S. Defense Secretary**
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for the first time on Feb. 12 during the Ramstein-format meeting in Brussels.
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