U.S. President Donald Trump reported that his two-hour conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin was conducted in a good tone and urged Ukraine and Russia to promptly begin negotiations to end the war. According to him, the conditions that both sides could agree upon were discussed during the conversation, and the tone of communication was, in his words, very positive.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Trump emphasized that he informed leaders of other countries and international organizations about the results of the talks. He noted, “I informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, 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. The Vatican also expressed interest in conducting negotiations,” he added.
Negotiations and Their Consequences
Russian President Vladimir Putin, after his phone conversation with Trump on May 19, told reporters that Russia and Ukraine need to find compromise solutions that satisfy both parties. He stated, “The Russian Federation is ready to work with Kyiv on a memorandum for a future peace treaty.”
Media reports indicate that prior to his conversation with Putin, Trump had a brief contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During this series of negotiations, Ukraine and Russia had already met in Istanbul to discuss possible paths to peace. This was the first such meeting since the early weeks of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Although the negotiations in Istanbul did not yield significant results, they led to the exchange of over 1,000 prisoners of war. At the same time, Russia continues to carry out missile and drone strikes on Ukraine, including over the weekend. According to Ukrainian sources, Russia has put forward maximalist demands, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from occupied areas, which has been rejected by the Ukrainian authorities and their allies.
Since taking office in January, Trump has made ending the war a priority of his foreign policy. However, his efforts have been complicated by the continuation of hostilities and Moscow’s rejection of the proposed 30-day ceasefire. Zelensky, in turn, recently visited Turkey and the Vatican, seeking support in the pursuit of peace, while Putin canceled a planned meeting in Turkey.
Zelensky also met with the U.S. Vice President and Secretary of State in Rome, indicating an intensification of diplomatic efforts to find a resolution to the conflict.