Thursday 13 / February / 2025
Washington DC: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a lengthy phone call, with the Russian president agreeing to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said he spoke with Putin not only about Ukraine, but also "the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar and various other subjects."
"But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the war with Russia, Ukraine," Trump said.
Most international estimates, including one last August from the US Congress, put the death toll far lower. Russia does not publish troop casualty figures, while Ukraine said a week ago that just over 45,000 of its troops had died.
"We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other's nations," Trump said. "We have also 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."
Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff will lead the negotiations from the US side.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also confirmed the Trump-Putin call, and said Putin was willing to host US representatives in Russia to discuss the Ukrainian conflict.
"Putin and Trump have also agreed to continue personal contacts, including organising a personal meeting," Peskov said, noting that Putin has invited Trump to Moscow.
Hours after the call, Trump said he and Putin would meet in Saudi Arabia. He told reporters that in addition to plans for him and Putin to visit each other, they will "probably" first meet in Saudi Arabia.
The president said the date hadn't been set yet but it would be in the "not too distant future."
The Ukrainian presidency later said that a "meaningful" call had taken place between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"We long talked about opportunities to achieve peace, discussed our readiness to work together at the team level, and Ukraine's technological capabilities — including drones and other advanced industries," Zelenskyy said in a post on X. "I am grateful to President Trump for his interest in what we can accomplish together."
Trump also commented on this call online, saying that Zelenskyy, "like President Putin, wants to make PEACE." He noted upcoming talks over the weekend between Zelenskyy, US Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference.
Earlier Wednesday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the idea that Ukraine could regain its territory prior to 2014 is an "unrealistic objective." Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and parts of eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Hegseth also said the US does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a "realistic outcome" of a settlement to end the war.
Zelenskyy is expected to meet with Vance at the Munich Security Conference on Friday to discuss the Ukrainian conflict.
