President Trump spoke Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and stated the 2 agreed to “start negotiations immediately” concerning the battle in Ukraine.
Trump posted on Fact Social that he had a “lengthy and highly productive phone call” with Putin. It’s the first publicly disclosed telephone name between the 2 males since Trump took workplace. Trump stated they mentioned Ukraine, the Center East, vitality, synthetic intelligence, the greenback and different subjects.
“But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump wrote. “President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, ‘COMMON SENSE.’ We both believe very strongly in it. We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations.”
Trump stated the 2 leaders agreed to have their groups start negotiations on bringing an finish to the battle in Ukraine, which started roughly three years in the past when Russian forces invaded the nation.
Trump spoke with Zelensky a short while after he received off the telephone with Putin.
The Ukrainian president stated the 2 leaders “talked about alternatives to attain peace, mentioned our readiness to work collectively on the staff degree, and Ukraine’s technological capabilities—together with drones and different superior industries.
“I am grateful to President Trump for his interest in what we can accomplish together,” Zelensky posted on X.
“No one wants peace more than Ukraine,” he added. “Together with the U.S., we are charting our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace. As President Trump said, let’s get it done.”
Trump stated he would ask Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, nationwide safety adviser Michael Waltz and particular envoy to the Center East Steve Witkoff to steer negotiations.
“No more lives should be lost! I want to thank President Putin for his time and effort with respect to this call, and for the release, yesterday, of Marc Fogel, a wonderful man that I personally greeted last night at the White House,” Trump wrote.
The decision came about someday after the discharge of Marc Fogel, an American citizen who had been imprisoned in Russia for greater than three years. The U.S. is predicted to launch Alexander Vinnik, a Russian nationwide who pleaded responsible final 12 months to conspiracy to commit cash laundering.
Trump has been coy when requested in latest weeks whether or not he had spoken to Putin, declining to reveal whether or not the 2 leaders had been in contact.
The president campaigned on a pledge to finish the battle in Ukraine, which has been raging since Russian forces invaded the nation in February 2022. At one level, he instructed he would have the ability to finish the battle earlier than he even took workplace.
The president’s name with Putin alerts negotiations could also be getting extra critical.
Trump and his allies in Congress have been skeptical about ongoing U.S. help for Ukraine in its combat towards Russia, with the president suggesting Europe ought to play a extra central position in backing Kyiv.
On the similar time, Trump final month threatened sanctions towards Moscow if it didn’t come to the desk to barter a ceasefire.
Vice President Vance is predicted to meet with Zelensky this week throughout a visit to Europe for the Munich Safety Convention. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was additionally dispatched to Ukraine to fulfill with Zelensky because the U.S. pursues a deal for extra entry to Ukraine’s important minerals.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth stated earlier Wednesday with NATO and Ukrainian protection ministers that it was “unrealistic” for Ukraine to return to its pre-2014 borders as a part of a ceasefire settlement with Russia. Moscow seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a transfer that sparked worldwide backlash.
Up to date at 1:23 p.m. EST
