United States President, Donald Trump, announced a “lengthy and highly productive” conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, during which both leaders agreed to commence negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump disclosed that the two leaders had instructed their respective teams to begin discussions immediately.
He also mentioned that they extended invitations to visit each other’s capitals.
Later in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed he had a “lasting, reliable peace” discussion with Trump as well.
The calls with both parties came as Trump and his Defense Secretary expressed doubts about Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, news that is likely to be disappointing for Kyiv.
Zelensky announced plans to meet U.S. Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a defense summit on Ukraine in Munich on Friday.
“It is time to stop this ridiculous War, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, DEATH and DESTRUCTION. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!” Trump wrote on social media, though he did not specify a date for a face-to-face meeting with Putin.
Later, he told reporters at the White House, “We’ll meet in Saudi Arabia.”
Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed that Putin welcomed Trump’s initiative, stating that “the time had come to work together.” The phone conversation, which lasted nearly 90 minutes, included an invitation for Trump to visit Moscow, Peskov added.
Responding to questions at the White House, Trump suggested that Ukraine might not regain its pre-2014 borders but hinted that “some of that land will come back.”
His remarks followed comments by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a NATO summit earlier in the day, asserting that Ukraine’s chances of joining the alliance were slim.
“I think that’s probably true,” Trump remarked.
The United Kingdom government reassured Ukraine of its continued support, with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner telling ITV that Britain’s commitment to Kyiv remains “steadfast.”
BBC correspondent James Waterhouse reported from Kyiv that Hegseth’s remarks would likely deliver a heavy blow to Ukraine’s hopes.
Although the stance of the new U.S. administration has long been seen as less sympathetic toward Ukraine, Hegseth’s statements would likely be well-received in Moscow, he noted.
Waterhouse highlighted that Hegseth’s speech denied Ukraine NATO membership, cast doubt on its chances of victory, and left the future of a frozen front line uncertain, all developments that appeared to reward Russia’s prolonged aggression.
Zelensky, who has consistently maintained that “there can be no talks on Ukraine without Ukraine,” was notably absent from the Trump-Putin call.
However, after his own conversation with Trump, he described it as a “good and detailed discussion” and mentioned a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was visiting Kyiv.
“No one wants peace more than Ukraine. Together with the U.S., we are charting our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace,” Zelensky stated.
He also indicated plans to stay in contact and schedule further meetings.
The call between Trump and Zelensky lasted about an hour, according to the AFP news agency.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Zelensky proposed the idea of swapping Russian-held territory in Ukraine for Ukrainian-controlled land in Russia’s Kursk region as part of a potential peace agreement.
However, Peskov dismissed the suggestion as “impossible,” emphasizing that “Russia has never discussed and will not discuss the exchange of its territory.”
Zelensky also insisted that U.S. involvement was crucial for any security guarantees, declaring, “Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees.”
In a separate comment, Trump mentioned that “at some point you’re going to have an election” in Ukraine, a reference to the scheduled expiration of Zelensky’s presidential term in May 2024.
However, Zelensky argued that the ongoing Russian invasion and martial law made it impossible to hold a presidential election.
Putin has frequently questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy as a negotiating partner, pointing back to the 2014 ouster of Ukraine’s pro-Russian president. Following those events, Moscow annexed Crimea and supported separatists in eastern Ukraine, sparking a conflict that escalated into full-scale war nearly three years ago.
Although Moscow’s early attempts to capture Kyiv were foiled, Russian forces control roughly 20% of Ukraine’s eastern and southern territories.
Russia has also conducted airstrikes across Ukraine, while Ukraine has launched artillery and drone attacks, including strikes in Russia’s Kursk region.
Exact casualty figures remain unclear, but estimates suggest hundreds of thousands of soldiers have been killed or wounded on both sides, and millions of Ukrainian civilians have fled as refugees.
