United States President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed on the need for peace and a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.
In a telephone conversation, which lasted for almost two hours, the two leaders also agreed to improve bilateral ties between Washington and Moscow.
“The blood and treasure that both Ukraine and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their people. This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts,” read readout of Trump’s call with President Putin.
The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace.
These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East. The leaders spoke broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts.
Both leaders discussed the need to stop proliferation of strategic weapons and will engage with others to ensure the broadest possible application.
The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel. The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside. This includes enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved.
“The key condition for preventing the escalation of the conflict and working toward its resolution through political and diplomatic means should be the complete cessation of foreign military assistance and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv,” the Kremlin said. The Kremlin’s account of the call said Putin imposed several conditions for a lasting ceasefire, including suspension of arms and intelligence support for Ukraine. Ukraine must also stop mobilizing new recruits, it said.
Key takeaways form the call:
Immediate ceasefire on energy & infrastructure
- Trump and Putin agreed to halt strikes on energy and infrastructure targets in Ukraine.
- The White House called it the “first step” toward a broader peace deal.
Russia stops short of full 30-day ceasefire
- Putin did not fully back the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US.
- The White House continues to push for a comprehensive halt to hostilities.
Maritime ceasefire negotiations to begin
- Trump and Putin agreed to start talks on a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s position unclear
- Ukraine has not publicly agreed to the limited ceasefire plan.
- Ukrainian officials earlier proposed a ceasefire covering the Black Sea, long-range missile strikes, and prisoner exchanges.
Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange set for Wednesday
- Both sides will exchange 175 prisoners.
- Russia will also return 23 badly wounded Ukrainian soldiers.
Putin’s conditions for peace
- Ukraine must renounce NATO membership.
- Ukraine should significantly reduce its military size.
- Russian language and culture must be protected in Ukraine.
US-Russia discussions on dividing assets
- Trump said Washington and Moscow have begun talks on “dividing up certain assets” between Ukraine and Russia.
- The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant’s fate is part of the discussions.
Trump temporarily cut off Ukraine military aid
- After a tense White House meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump temporarily halted military intelligence-sharing and aid to Ukraine.
- Aid was restored after Ukraine signed off on the 30-day ceasefire proposal.
Trump’s skepticism about Ukraine’s position
- Trump believes Russia holds the leverage in negotiations.
- He claims Ukrainian troops are “surrounded” in Russia’s Kursk region, though Kyiv disputes this.
Trump & Putin discuss Iran and Israel
- Both agreed that “Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel.”
- The US has accused Iran of supplying Russia with drones and missiles for use in Ukraine.
