Key developments on. Feb. 12:
- Trump holds talks with Zelensky following his 1.5-hour-long conversation with Putin
- 'Restoring Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is unrealistic objective,' Pentagon chief says
- Coordinating allied support — Umerov lists Ukraine's priorities at Ramstein-format summit
- Europe faces 'total' Russian occupation without Ukraine's army, Zelensky says
- Ukraine's SBU detains its counter-terrorist center chief accused of working for Russia
- Russian missile attack on Kyiv damages state-run TV channel's office
U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone conversation with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 12.
"Just spoke with Donald Trump. Long conversation. About the possibilities of achieving peace. About our willingness to work together. About our technological capabilities, including drones and other modern manufacturing," Zelensky said following the call.
"Ukraine wants peace more than anyone else. We are defining our joint steps with America to stop Russian aggression and guarantee a reliable, lasting peace," he added.
Hours prior, Trump held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and agreed that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will start "immediately."
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said both agreed that "we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine."
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the two leaders spoke for 90 minutes and Putin invited Trump to Moscow.
Trump added that he had instructed a team including State Secretary Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz to lead the negotiations.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Rubio will meet Zelensky on Feb. 14 to begin official peace negotiations, Trump announced on Truth Social.
"I just spoke to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The conversation went very well. He, like President Putin, wants to make peace. We discussed a variety of topics having to do with the war, but mostly, the meeting that is being set up on Friday in Munich, where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the delegation," Trump wrote.
"I am hopeful that the results of that meeting will be positive. It is time to stop this ridiculous war, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, death and destruction," he added.
"God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!"
Oleg Sukhov
'Restoring Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is unrealistic objective,' Pentagon chief says
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Feb. 12 that it is unrealistic to expect that Ukraine can restore its pre-2014 borders in any negotiations with Moscow on ending its war.
Russia invaded Ukraine's eastern Donbas region and annexed Crimea in 2014 following the EuroMaidan Revolution that ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
During a speech at the Ramstein summit, Hegseth said that the U.S. also wants to see Ukraine as "sovereign and prosperous," but that "we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective."
"Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering," he added.
Hegseth also said the U.S. does not believe that Ukraine's accession to NATO is a "realistic outcome" of negotiations. The Pentagon chief added that any security guarantees provided to Ukraine must also be "backed by capable European and non-European troops."
"To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine," he said.
Hegseth arrived at the NATO headquarters in Brussels earlier in the day to participate in the Ramstein-format meeting.
As Washington revises its foreign and security policy after President Donald Trump's return to office, the U.K. has taken over the U.S.'s role in chairing the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG).
Ukraine officially applied to join NATO in September 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion. While NATO members pledged at the 2024 Washington Summit that Ukraine's path to membership is "irreversible," they have yet to extend a formal invitation.
Russian officials, as well as Western intellectuals with a track record of anti-Ukraine narratives have repeatedly cited Ukraine's potential NATO membership as a justification for the invasion.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged opposition from several NATO members, including the U.S., Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia, but expressed hope that Trump could sway support for Kyiv's entry.
Coordinating allied support — Umerov lists Ukraine's priorities at Ramstein-format summit
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has begun his work at the 26th Ramstein-format Ukrainian Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting in Brussels on Feb. 12, the first event of its kind not chaired by the U.S.
The meeting, chaired by U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey, will focus on coordinating support for Ukraine, including expanding defense production, financing new enterprises, and increasing arms supplies through European defense industry capacities.
"The main goal is strengthening military cooperation and real mechanisms to support Ukraine," Umerov said.
The agenda includes ensuring a stable and timely supply of military aid in 2025, accelerating the delivery of critical weapons like air defense systems, aviation, and ammunition, and fostering joint projects with European partners.
This meeting follows the 25th gathering on Jan. 9, which focused on strengthening Ukraine's air defenses. This marks the first Ramstein summit during U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.
Trump's return to the White House has prompted concerns not only about the future of the UDCG but also about the overall allied support for Ukraine. While pledging to broker a swift peace deal, the U.S. president has been evasive regarding the continued military backing for Kyiv.
"This is an important stage in strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities and coordinating further actions of the allies," Umerov added.
The UDCG, comprising over 50 countries, including all NATO members, typically meets at the U.S. Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
The Ramstein summit coincides with other key events this week, including the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting and the Munich Security Conference.
The Kyiv Independent
Europe faces 'total' Russian occupation without Ukraine's army, Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that without Ukraine, Europe could face a full-scale Russian occupation due to Moscow's numerical advantage in forces, he said in a segment of an interview with The Guardian published on Feb. 12.
Zelensky highlighted the disparity in forces between Russia and Europe, saying that Ukraine's army consists of 110 brigades, while Russia fields 220 and plans to expand to 250 this year. In contrast, Europe, including U.S. troops stationed there, has only about 82 combat brigades, he said.
"Without Ukraine, Europe will be totally occupied by Russia, if they want. And I believe they (Russia) have nothing else on their mind," the president said in the interview.
"Today, an army of 110 brigades is holding back those who have 220-230. But it's one to two," Zelensky added. The president said that while Russia's numeral advantage compared to Ukraine is two to one, in comparison to Europe, it's three to one, which is sufficient for an effective offensive.
Zelensky added that Russia intends to increase its forces by 12-15 divisions — around 150,000 troops — through mobilization, training, and the addition of North Korean soldiers. According to the president, Ukraine's intelligence also suggests that new Russian recruits will be trained in Belarus.
"After that, they can launch a full-scale invasion from there. But who said that it would be to Ukraine? Russia can invade Poland or Lithuania," Zelensky warned.
The president said on Jan. 15 that Ukraine's military consists of 880,000 soldiers, tasked with defending the entire country against the 600,000 Russian troops concentrated in specific areas.
Zelensky also disclosed in the interview that an assassination attempt on him at the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 led to casualties inside the Presidential Office.
Asami Terajima
Ukraine's SBU detains its counter-terrorist center chief accused of working for Russia
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained the head of the agency's counter-terrorism department, who is suspected of working for Russian intelligence, SBU head Vasyl Maliuk announced on Feb. 12.
While the agency did not reveal the suspect's name, the Kyiv Independent's SBU sources identified him as Colonel Dmytro Koziura.
The suspect's illicit activities were documented in 14 separate cases, according to Maliuk. The SBU chief emphasized that the operation to uncover and detain him required "all possible overt and covert methods."
The case sheds light on Russian efforts to infiltrate and undermine Ukraine's security services amid the full-scale war that broke out in 2022.
"In the process, we managed to document the collection and transmission of relevant information to Russia," Maliuk added. The suspect was said to be working with Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
"Using encrypted software bookmarks, we penetrated the traitor's gadgets — mobile terminals and computers. We basically lived with him and conducted audio and video monitoring," the SBU chief added.
The SBU head described the operation as part of an ongoing internal purge and warned that no Russian infiltration attempts would succeed. Further details of the case are expected to be released soon.
Russian missile attack on Kyiv damages state-run TV channel's office
A Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv on Feb. 12 damaged the office of the state news channels Freedom TV and Dim, the news channels announced.
The office sustained damage to windows and equipment, but the channels said they remain operational. The statements mentioned no casualties.
According to a TSN journalist on the ground, everything within a 300-meter radius was damaged. Parts of the facades were demolished, and doors were blown off.
"For terrorists who violate any conventions and disregard international law, the media is a desirable target," the Freedom TV channel said in a statement.
Russia has previously targeted Ukraine's media infrastructure, including a strike on Kharkiv's TV broadcasting tower in April 2024 and Kyiv's TV tower in March 2022.
The morning attack on Kyiv struck an industrial zone housing multiple office centers. Footage from the scene shows shattered glass, structural damage to buildings, and wrecked cars. At least one person was killed and four injured in the city.
Note from the author:
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The Kyiv Independent
