President Trump announced on Wednesday that he had a “lengthy and highly productive phone call” with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, describing it as the start of negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
This marked the first confirmed conversation between the two leaders during Mr. Trump's second term, as he has indicated to advisers that achieving a U.S.-backed resolution to the conflict initiated by Russia is a priority for his administration.
In a social media post, Mr. Trump stated, “We discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects.” He emphasized the strengths of their respective nations and the potential benefits of future cooperation, while acknowledging a mutual desire to halt the ongoing deaths resulting from the war. However, it is estimated that several hundred thousand deaths have occurred in the conflict, not millions as suggested.
Mr. Trump indicated that he would inform President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine about the plan for both nations to initiate negotiations immediately. Following this, Mr. Zelensky's office confirmed that the Ukrainian president had a one-hour conversation with Mr. Trump.
Notably, Mr. Trump did not clarify how Mr. Zelensky would be involved in the negotiations with Mr. Putin. Historically, Mr. Trump has been skeptical of Ukraine and has not shown a strong affinity for Mr. Zelensky.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov reported that the call lasted nearly an hour and a half, and he noted that both leaders agreed to meet in person, with Mr. Putin inviting Mr. Trump to Moscow. Mr. Peskov stated that Mr. Putin concurred with Mr. Trump that “the time has come for our countries to work together.”
During the discussion on Ukraine, Mr. Putin highlighted the need to address the root causes of the conflict, indicating that he would not settle for a simple cease-fire and would seek broader concessions from Ukraine and the West before ceasing hostilities.
The situation appears challenging for Ukraine, as the call coincided with comments from U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who described the objective of restoring Ukraine's borders to their pre-2014 status as “unrealistic.” He also stated that the U.S. does not support Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO as part of a feasible peace plan, while suggesting that Europe should take on a more significant role in its own defense.
For Mr. Putin, the call represented a significant moment, signaling a deterioration of Western efforts to isolate him diplomatically following the invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago. Since Mr. Trump's re-election in November, Mr. Putin has expressed admiration for him, reflecting the Kremlin's hope for a shift in U.S.-Russia relations.
The United Nations welcomed any initiatives aimed at facilitating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, with spokesman Farhan Haq stating that involvement from both sides would be a positive development.
Mr. Trump also outlined the U.S. negotiating team, which includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Mr. Witkoff recently visited Moscow and successfully secured the release of American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who had been imprisoned in Russia for over three years.
Interestingly, Mr. Trump did not mention Keith Kellogg, his retired general envoy for Russia and Ukraine, who has advocated for a more aggressive stance against Russia, including potential increased sanctions to incentivize a peace agreement.
While Mr. Trump has refrained from confirming prior conversations with Mr. Putin, sources within the U.S. government were unaware of any such discussions before Wednesday. Historically, Mr. Trump has made favorable comments about Mr. Putin, describing him as a “genius” following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but he adopted a more critical tone during his first week in office, suggesting that Mr. Putin's actions were misguided.