U.S. President Donald Trump talked with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Ukraine. Trump said the call was “highly productive.” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and in sweeping remarks suggested that the country should abandon hopes of returning to its pre-2014 borders and prepare for a negotiated settlement with Russia that would be backed up by international troops. Allies have been waiting to hear how much continued military and financial support Washington intends to provide to the Ukrainian government. What they heard was that President Donald Trump is intent on getting Europe to assume most of the financial and military responsibilities for the defense of Ukraine, including a possible peacekeeping force that would not include U.S. We talk to Robert David English is a professor at the University of Southern California.