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Top US defense official signals Europe's declining priority for Trump — expert

According to David Speedie, the approval of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence by the US Senate is one of the signs of that

NEW YORK, February 13. /TASS/. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signaled in his speech in Brussels about the declining priority of European affairs for the current US President Donald Trump, David Speedie, a board member of the American Committee for East-West Accord, told TASS.

Commenting on the telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, as well as the Pentagon chief's speech in the Belgian capital, the expert suggested that "three highly significant events" took place on February 12. "Firstly, the direct contact between the presidents indicating an ‘immediate’ start to negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on an end to hostilities; secondly, Secretary Hesgeth's statement on the reduced priority for the [US] administration of European affairs [including Ukraine]; and thirdly, the [US] Senate vote approving Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence," the political analyst said.

"Gabbard has been one of the few courageous voices in Washington articulating the causes and sequence of events threatening Russian interests that have led to the NATO/Ukraine conflict with Russia," Speedie added.

In a telephone conversation on February 12, Putin and Trump discussed, among other things, the prospects for a settlement in Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, Trump expressed support for an early cessation of hostilities and a peaceful settlement. Putin, for his part, mentioned the need to address the root causes of the conflict and agreed with Trump that a long-term settlement could be reached through peaceful negotiations, the Russian leader's press service said. The US leader wrote in the Truth Social network that Moscow and Washington would immediately start negotiations on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.

Speaking in Brussels at the regular meeting of the Western contact group coordinating arms deliveries to Kiev, Hegseth emphasized that a return to Ukraine's 2014 borders was unrealistic. He also effectively ruled out the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO and warned Europe that it should be in charge of its own security, according to the Trump administration.

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