(BBC News) US President Donald Trump says Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” start negotiating toward a ceasefire and an end to the war after a two-hour phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Trump, who described the conversation as having gone “very well”, also said conditions for peace would need to be negotiated between the two parties.
Putin said he was ready to work with Ukraine on a “memorandum on a possible future peace agreement,” but did not address demands from the US and European countries for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
Trump also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said “this is a defining moment,” and urged the US not to distance itself from talks.
While Trump has expressed positivity toward his conversation with Putin, there was no indication about when peace negotiations would take place, or if Moscow is prepared to make any concessions on its demands for a ceasefire.
After his one-on-one call with Trump, Zelensky reaffirmed Ukraine’s desire for a “full and unconditional ceasefire,” and warned if Moscow is not ready, “there must be stronger sanctions.”
Speaking earlier before Trump’s conversation with Putin, Zelensky said he had asked that any decisions about Ukraine not be made without his country, calling them “matters of principles” for Ukraine.
He added he did not have any details on a “memorandum”, but said once they have received anything from the Russians, they will “be able to formulate their vision accordingly.”
Writing on his Truth Social page after the call, Trump said: “Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” adding he had informed Zelensky of this in a second call, which included other world leaders.
He added: “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.”
Zelensky said the negotiation process “must involve both American and European representatives at the appropriate level.”
“It is crucial for all of us that the United States does not distance itself from the talks and the pursuit of peace, because the only one who benefits from that is Putin,” he said.
Talking at a White House event later in the day, Trump said the US would not be stepping away from brokering talks between Russia and Ukraine, but that he has a “red line in his head” on when he will stop pushing on them both.
He also denied that the US was stepping back from its negotiating role.
In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly warned that the US would step away from negotiations as he became increasingly frustrated at the lack of developments from both Moscow and Kyiv in the way of peace.
When asked what he believes regarding Russia, he said he thinks Putin has had enough of the war and wants it to end.
Meanwhile, Putin – who described the call with Trump, which he took from a music school on a visit to the city of Sochi, as “frank, informative and constructive” – also spoke of the potential for a ceasefire.
“We have agreed with the US president that Russia will offer and is ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum on a possible future peace agreement,” he said.
This, he added, would define “a number of positions” including “principles of the settlement and a timeline for concluding a possible peace agreement … including a possible ceasefire for a certain period of time, should relevant agreements be reached.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce824m5849po
