Putin, Trump hold two-hour call on Ukraine war, explore ceasefire talks, post-war trade

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation lasting more than two hours, during which they discussed the war in Ukraine and explored the possibility of an in-person meeting.

Putin confirmed the call took place during a briefing with reporters, while Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the two leaders agreed to continue dialogue on a wide range of global issues, including the conflict in Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

Speaking to reporters, Ushakov said the conversation was "candid and comprehensive" and that no topics were off the table.

“President Putin congratulated Donald Trump on the birth of his eleventh grandchild,” Ushakov added. Ushakov also added that Trump expressed a willingness to maintain direct lines of communication with the Kremlin.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social shortly after the call, wrote that he believed the exchange went “very well” and announced that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on a potential ceasefire and “an end to the war” would begin immediately.

“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,” Trump wrote. “The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later.”

Trump also said Russia was eager to pursue large-scale trade with the United States once the war ends, and suggested both Russia and Ukraine could benefit economically from post-war cooperation and reconstruction.

In the same post, Trump claimed he had already informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb about the outcome of the call. He also noted the Vatican, represented by the Pope, had expressed interest in hosting future negotiations.

While there has been no immediate confirmation of Trump’s claims from the Ukrainian government or European leaders, the call underscores a renewed push by Trump to play a diplomatic role in resolving the ongoing conflict, even as he remains a private citizen and Republican presidential candidate for 2024.

By Aghakazim Guliyev