Russian President Vladimir Putin told former U.S. President Donald Trump in a lengthy phone call that peace negotiations to end the ongoing Ukraine conflict could be possible. The Kremlin confirmed the conversation, marking the first direct communication between the two leaders since Trump returned to office last month.
The call, which lasted nearly an hour and a half, was seen as a step toward potential diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the war, which has lasted for almost three years. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Putin and Trump agreed that a long-term resolution could be achieved through peaceful discussions.
“President Trump spoke in favour of stopping hostilities as soon as possible and solving the problem by peaceful means,” Peskov said.
While Putin expressed willingness to negotiate, he also noted that any settlement would need to address the underlying causes of the conflict. However, he did not provide specific details on what those causes were.
In addition to the Ukraine situation, both leaders discussed other key international issues, including a potential prisoner exchange, Iran’s nuclear program, and the broader security situation in the Middle East.
The Kremlin also revealed that Putin invited Trump to visit Moscow, though it remains unclear whether the U.S. president will accept the invitation.
Trump later described the conversation as “lengthy and highly productive” in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. He stated that they had agreed to begin peace negotiations “immediately.”
