U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that Russia and Ukraine will begin immediate negotiations toward a ceasefire and end to the war. The announcement follows a two-hour phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump described the conversation as productive and later informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the outcome in a second call.
According to Trump, both countries will decide the terms of a possible agreement on their own, without external conditions imposed. “The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of,” he said on Truth Social.
Ukraine Calls for Full and Unconditional Ceasefire
Zelensky, after his call with Trump, repeated Ukraine’s position that a full and unconditional ceasefire is necessary. He said if Russia is not prepared to agree to this, stronger sanctions must follow. Zelensky also insisted that the U.S. and European allies must stay involved in the negotiation process. “It is crucial for all of us that the United States does not distance itself from the talks and the pursuit of peace, because the only one who benefits from that is Putin,” he said.
Zelensky made it clear that Ukraine will not accept any decisions made without its input, saying these are “matters of principle.” He confirmed that no details of a proposed Russian “memorandum” have been received yet but added Ukraine would respond once any offer is formally submitted.
Putin Mentions Future Memorandum, No Timeline Set
Putin said Russia is prepared to work with Ukraine on a memorandum outlining the framework for a potential peace agreement. He said this could include principles for settlement and a timeline for ceasefire, depending on further discussions. However, no specific duration for a ceasefire was proposed.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that while Trump emphasized the need for rapid progress, there was no discussion of an exact ceasefire timeline. Putin took the call while visiting a music school in Sochi and later described the conversation as “frank, informative and constructive.”
International Involvement
After Trump’s second call with Zelensky, several European leaders joined the discussion, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and leaders of France, Italy, Germany, and Finland. Von der Leyen thanked Trump for his involvement and said it is important for the U.S. to stay engaged. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni added that the Vatican’s earlier offer to host peace talks was welcomed by all parties involved.
Earlier this month, Pope Leo offered the Vatican as a possible venue after Putin declined Zelensky’s invitation to meet in Turkey.
Attacks Continue Despite Diplomacy
Fighting between Russia and Ukraine continues. Kyiv reported at least 10 civilian deaths from Russian attacks in recent days, including nine people killed in a strike on a civilian bus in northeastern Ukraine. Ukraine also reported that Russia launched its largest drone attack since the invasion began.
These attacks happened shortly after a rare face-to-face meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials, which resulted in a limited prisoner exchange but no ceasefire agreement.
Trump had offered to attend peace talks in Turkey if Putin agreed to be present, but the Russian president declined.
Background
The war began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, there have been several short-term ceasefire announcements, including a 30-hour Easter truce and a temporary halt during Victory Day celebrations in May. None have led to long-term de-escalation, and both sides have accused each other of violating ceasefire terms.
Trump has said he will continue to press both sides toward peace, but warned he has a “red line” on how long the U.S. will stay involved without progress. The next stage of talks and whether any binding agreements will follow remains uncertain.
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