The US President, Donald Trump, on Monday held separate phone calls with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, to negotiate a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine aimed at ending their three-year war.
The calls did not produce any major breakthrough. Although Trump and Putin said that Moscow and Kyiv would start talks on a future peace, the Russian President did not agree to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.
Trump-Putin Call
On Monday, Trump held a much-awaited call with Putin, which the US President described as “excellent.” Trump praised the call on a social media post, saying that Russia and Ukraine would begin peace talks soon.
“Just completed my two-hour call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. I believe it went very well. Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War. The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump said that the Vatican has expressed interest in hosting the talks, adding that he informed Zelensky, as well as the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, and Finland, of his call with Putin.
The US President added that Russia is eager to resume trade with the US after the war ends. “Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic “bloodbath” is over, and I agree,” Trump said.
No Immediate Ceasefire
After the call, Putin described his conversation with Trump as “constructive” and thanked the US President for his diplomatic efforts. However, he suggested that Moscow had not agreed to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters in the Russian resort city of Sochi, Putin said that Moscow “is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace accord, defining a number of positions, such as, for example, the principles of a settlement, the timing of a possible peace agreement.”
The Russian President hinted that his country’s demands had not changed. “At the same time, I would like to note that, in general, Russia’s position is clear. The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis,” he noted, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The Russian Presidential Advisor, Yuri Ushakov, said that the call between the two leaders were friendly, adding that they could hold a face-to-face meeting at some point. Ushakov said they also discussed a Russia-US prisoner swap, which could involve the two countries releasing 9 prisoners each.
More Pressure on Russia
On Monday, Zelensky said he spoke with Trump before and after his call with Putin. He reiterated Ukraine’s readiness for a full and unconditional ceasefire, reaffirming Kyiv’s willingness to take part in direct negotiations with Moscow in any format that could yield results.
“This is a defining moment. The world can now see whether its leaders are truly capable of securing a ceasefire and achieving real, lasting peace. At the beginning of our bilateral conversation, I reaffirmed to President Trump that Ukraine is ready for a full and unconditional ceasefire,” he posted on X.
The Ukrainian President also called the international community to increase pressure on Russia if it refused to end the war. “If the Russians are not ready to stop the killings, there must be stronger sanctions. Pressure on Russia will push it toward real peace – this is obvious to everyone around the world,” he said.
US Engagement
Zelensky also urged the US not to “distance itself from the talks or the pursuit of peace, because the only one who benefits from that is Putin.” The Ukrainian President’s remarks came as Trump suggested he could back out of the process.
Speaking to reporters later on Monday, the US leader said: “I’ll tell you big egos involved, but I think something’s going to happen. And if it doesn’t, I just back away, and they’re going to have to keep going again. This was a European situation. It should have remained a European situation.”
After Trump’s conversation with the European Commission President and the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, and Finland, von der Leyen stressed Europe’s support for Ukraine and urged the US President to stay involved in the peace talks.
“I want to thank President Trump for his tireless efforts to bring a ceasefire to Ukraine. It’s important that the US stays engaged. We will continue to support Volodymyr Zelensky to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine,” she wrote on X.
