Putin describes 2-hour Trump call as ‘very useful’
Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed his phone call with his US counterpart Donald Trump as “very useful.” The two leaders spoke for over two hours on Monday, primarily about the Ukraine conflict.
Speaking to reporters shortly after the call, Putin thanked the US president for supporting the resumption of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev on a potential peace agreement. He said Trump had outlined his position on ending hostilities and the possibility of a ceasefire during the conversation.
“For our part, I also emphasized that Russia supports a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict,” Putin said, adding “We must simply identify the most effective path toward peace.”
Moscow is ready to work with Kiev on a memorandum that envisions a future peace agreement between the two countries, Putin has said.
“We’ve agreed with the US president that Russia will propose and be ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a potential future peace agreement, defining such positions as the principles of the settlement and the timeframe for a potential conclusion of the peace agreement, including [the announcement of] a possible ceasefire for a certain period of time,” the president stated.
The recent resumption of direct talks with Kiev shows that the situation is generally steering “in the right direction,” Putin has said. “The issue is, of course, that both Moscow and Kiev should demonstrate maximum desire for peace and find compromises that would satisfy all parties,” he added.
Last week in Istanbul, Russian and Ukrainian representatives held their first direct talks since 2022, when Kiev backed out of a proposed peace deal that had been agreed in principle by both sides.
The latest round of negotiations has led to a proposal for the largest prisoner exchange between the two countries and a pledge to continue dialogue.
Putin reiterated that Russia’s position is to negotiate a long-term resolution of the conflict that addresses the “root causes.”
