Washington, (EFE).- United States President Donald Trump announced Monday that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to begin immediate negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire and potentially ending the war, following separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump said the conversation with Putin lasted two hours and described the tone as “excellent.”
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated, “I believe everything went very well. Russia and Ukraine will begin negotiations immediately for a ceasefire and, more importantly, for an END to the war. The will be negotiated between both parties, as only they can fully understand the details involved.”
The Republican leader added that he briefed several international counterparts following his call with Putin, including European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Trump also highlighted the interest of Pope Leo XIV in hosting peace talks at the Vatican. “Let the process begin!” he posted.
This marks the third call between Trump and Putin since the US president returned to office on Jan. 20.
Trump previously stated that ending the war in Ukraine would be a top foreign policy priority during his second term.
The United States has been a leading military and financial backer of Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in Feb. 2022.
The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and triggered Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday proposed in this telephone conversation with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to work with Ukraine on a road map for a ceasefire, settlement principles, and the g of a peace treaty.
“We have agreed with President Trump that Russia proposes, is ready, to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace treaty,” Putin told Russian reporters after talking at length with his US counterpart.
On Friday, Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Turkey, reaching a limited deal to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from each side and share conditions for a possible ceasefire.
No formal peace framework has been agreed upon.
Trump said Russia expressed interest in resuming large-scale trade with the US once hostilities end, and he welcomed the possibility.
“Russia has a huge opportunity to generate jobs and wealth. Its potential is unlimited. Ukraine, too, stands to benefit immensely from trade as it begins rebuilding,” he noted.
Trump had previously previewed Monday’s calls, saying he intended to discuss how to “stop the bloodshed” in Ukraine and explore future trade cooperation with both Kyiv and Moscow.
While Trump’s diplomatic approach has drawn skepticism from some European allies, who question his commitment to NATO and multilateralism, others have cautiously welcomed any movement toward a negotiated peace after more than three years of war.
Ukrainian officials have not commented publicly on the details of the talks.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed after talks with US President Donald Trump and top European leaders that the next meeting between Ukraine and Russia could be held in the presence of Americans and Europeans in the Vatican, Switzerland, or Turkey.
Kyiv has consistently stated that any peace deal must respect its territorial integrity and sovereignty, including the return of Russian-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine and Crimea. EFE
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