Donald Trump has said Russia and Ukraine will ‘immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire’ after a two-hour phone call with Vladimir Putin which he said ‘went very well’.
In a statement on social media after Monday’s call he said the ‘tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent’, claiming that both countries will benefit from US trade if they end their ‘catastrophic bloodbath’.
Vladimir Putin said he is ‘ready to work with the Ukrainian side’ and but struck a more ambiguous tone, saying talks could lead to a ‘possible future peace agreement’ and a ‘possible ceasefire’.
‘Contacts between the participants of the meeting and negotiations in Istanbul have resumed, and this gives reason to believe that we are, in general, on the right track,’ he added.
The Russian president described the two-hour conversation with his US counterpart on Monday as ‘very informative’ and ‘frank’.
In a statement made via Kremlin-controlled media following the call, he said thanked Trump for ‘US support in resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine’.
Putin signalled willingness to sign a ‘peace agreement’ with Ukraine but said it would be based on certain ‘positions’ which he did not clarify.
He said: ‘The US president voiced his position on a ceasefire. For my part, I noted that Russia, too, favours a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. We simply must determine the most effective ways of moving towards peace.
‘We have agreed with the president of the United States that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace accord, defining a number of positions.
‘Such as, for example, the principles of settlement, the timing of a possible peace agreement, including a possible ceasefire for a certain period if the relevant agreements are reached.’
What happened last time they spoke?
Trump and Putin held a similar 90-minute call in February, their first since the US president resumed office in January.
The Republican leader also followed that call by saying negotiations would start ‘immediately’.
However he sparked anger in Kyiv by saying it was unlikely Ukraine would regain Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, saying only ‘some of that land will come back’.
In March, Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US, but Russia refused it.
The two sides agreed a 30-hour truce to last over Easter, but both accused each other of violating it.
Trump vocally criticised a Russian missile strike on Kyiv the day before Easter Sunday, posting: ‘Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!’
Following a meeting with Zelensky at the Pope’s funeral, he said of Putin: ‘He’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!’
Yesterday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a failure by Russia to negotiate ‘in good faith’ could lead to additional sanctions against Putin’s cronies.
Trump and Putin’s statements in full
In his full statement, issued on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: ”Just completed my two hour call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. I believe it went very well.
‘Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War. 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. If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later. Russia wants to do largescale 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!’
In comments reported by various Russian state media outlets, compiled here, Putin said: ‘It was a very informative and quite a frank conversation, and very useful in this respect. First of all, I thanked the US president for US support in resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on a possible peace agreement.
‘The US president voiced his position on a ceasefire. For my part, I noted that Russia, too, favours a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. We simply must determine the most effective ways of moving towards peace.
‘We have agreed with the president of the United States that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace agreement, defining a number of positions, such as, for example, the principles of settlement, the timing of a possible peace agreement.
‘Contacts between the participants of the meeting and negotiations in Istanbul have resumed, and this gives reason to believe that we are, in general, on the right track.’
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