US President Donald Trump described his recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin as “lengthy and highly productive,” with both leaders agreeing to commence negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
This marks the first known conversation between the two presidents since Trump assumed office last month. In a readout of the conversation posted on the Truth Social platform, Trump said, he and the Russian president had “agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now.” Later, Zelensky said he had spoken with Trump about a “lasting, reliable peace”.
Trump also announced the appointment of key officials to lead the negotiations, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, expressing confidence in their success.
The call covered additional topics such as the Middle East, energy, artificial intelligence, and “the power of the dollar”. Trump highlighted the “great history” of the US and Russia.
The announcement followed a high-profile prisoner exchange involving Marc Fogel, a US teacher detained in Moscow on drug charges, and Alexander Vinnik, arrested in Greece in 2017 on cryptocurrency fraud charges and later extradited to the US.
Both leaders agreed to visit each other’s countries, with their first meeting expected to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that arranging the meeting could take several months.
Russia confirmed that Ukraine would be involved in talks to end the war, but there would be a separate U.S.-Russian strand to the negotiations. Peskov told Russian state TV in an interview: “One way or another, of course, Ukraine will participate in the negotiations.” He added: “There will be a bilateral Russian-American track of this dialogue, and a track that will be related to Ukraine’s involvement.”
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth hailed Trump as the “one man in the world” capable of facilitating peace. Notably, former President Joe Biden had not engaged with Putin in nearly three years. Trump’s campaign had promised to end the conflict, though details had been scarce.
China welcomed the proposed US-Russia talks, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizing the importance of communication between influential powers. China reiterated its stance that negotiations remain the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis, underscoring President Xi Jinping’s commitment to a political resolution from the outset.
UPDATE 14/02/2025
European solidarity with Ukraine was on display Wednesday as foreign ministers and officials from several countries, including France, Germany, and Britain, met in Paris and pledged further support. Their joint statement declared, “We look forward to discussing the way ahead with our American allies. Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations, and Ukraine should be provided with strong security guarantees.”
With reporting by news agencies
