U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine will commence "immediately" following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed optimism about the call, stating it "went very well" and noted that "Russia wants to do large-scale TRADE with the United States" once the ongoing conflict is resolved.
Trump informed a series of world leaders—including 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 discussions with Putin. He also mentioned that the Vatican, represented by the Pope, has shown interest in hosting the negotiations.
Prior to Trump’s statement, Putin indicated that a ceasefire could be achievable if the right agreements were reached, although he did not provide specifics. He noted that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov or the head of Moscow's negotiating team, Vladimir Ushakov, would offer further details later.
Putin stated that Russia would propose a memorandum for a possible future peace agreement, which would include principles for a solution, the timing for a potential ceasefire, and other key positions. The Kremlin has insisted on addressing what it terms the "root causes" of the conflict, which include Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO and the EU and the alleged discrimination against ethnic Russians in Ukraine. However, no evidence has been presented to support these claims.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that Trump’s goal is to achieve a ceasefire, admitting that he has grown frustrated with both sides of the conflict. Trump remarked, "Nothing's going to happen until Putin and I together," stressing the urgency for action.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance added that Trump intends to press Putin on his commitment to ending the invasion of Ukraine, acknowledging the ongoing impasse.
Despite Putin’s earlier suggestion for direct talks, he declined Zelenskyy’s invitation for a meeting in Istanbul, sending a lower-level delegation instead. Zelenskyy later convened with his team to assess the outcomes of the recent discussions, stating that Ukraine has made every effort to bring the ceasefire closer and pointing to Russia as the main obstacle to peace.
The most notable outcome from the talks was the agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from each side, with preparations being coordinated by Ukraine’s Security Service. As the situation evolves, the international community watches closely for any signs of progress toward peace.
