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US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have confirmed public interest in getting Ukraine–Russia peace talks back on track following a “candid” two-hour telephone discussion.
President Trump, broadcasting via X (Twitter), said there were trade benefits to consider if Russia and Ukraine were able to resolve peacefully.
“I believe it went very well. Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the war,” he said.
“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.
“The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent… Russia wants to do large-scale trade with the United States when this catastrophic ‘bloodbath’ is over, and I agree.
“There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is unlimited. Likewise, Ukraine can be a great beneficiary on trade, in the process of rebuilding its country.
“Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin immediately. I have so informed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, President Emmanuel Macron, of France, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, of Italy, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, of Germany, and President Alexander Stubb, of Finland, during a call with me, immediately after the call with President Putin.
“The Vatican, as represented by the Pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations. Let the process begin.”
Experts have previously theorised that a “non-confrontational off-ramp” would be needed for Russia to exit the conflict with Ukraine, without loss of public face to President Putin (so that he could retain in his current position within Russian government).
President Putin confirmed that he had spoken to Trump in a “substantive and quite candid” discussion.
“The President of the United States shared his position on the cessation of hostilities and the prospects for a ceasefire. For my part, I noted that Russia also supports a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis as well. What we need now is to identify the most effective ways towards achieving peace,” he said in a public statement.
“We agreed with the President of the United States that Russia would propose and is ready to engage with the Ukrainian side on drafting a memorandum regarding a potential future peace agreement. This would include outlining a range of provisions, such as the principles for settlement, the time frame for a possible peace deal, and other matters, including a potential temporary ceasefire, should the necessary agreements be reached.”
President Putin laid blame for the previous failed peace talks on Ukraine and supported the resumption of direct talks.
“I would like to reiterate that the conversation was highly constructive, and I assess it positively. The key issue, of course, is now for the Russian side and the Ukrainian side to show their firm commitment to peace and to forge a compromise that would be acceptable to all parties,” he said.
“Notably, Russia’s position is clear. Eliminating the root causes of this crisis is what matters most to us.”
