Moscow / Washington DC:
US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin spoke over the phone for more than two hours on Monday, brainstorming, and possibly negotiating, what it would take for Moscow and Kyiv to agree to a fast, if not immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.
The talks were exhaustive, as both leaders touched upon the finer details of the battle and discussed ways of address both Moscow and Kyiv’s concerns. Describing the talks as “useful”, President Trump said Moscow is ready to work towards ending the conflict in Ukraine.
President Putin also mentioned that last week’s negotiations in Istanbul – the first direct talks between Ukraine and Russia since the start of the war – has “put the world on the right path” towards resolving the conflict in Ukraine. In an apparent message for Ukraine’s Zelensky, the Russian President also urged for “compromises” in order to attain peace.
Underscoring Moscow’s willingness to “work” with Kyiv, President Putin spoke about a “memorandum” as a prelude to a possible peace deal between the two warring neighbours, who have been involved in Europe’s deadliest battle since the Second World War.
Monday’s talks come nearly a week after President Trump, who wants to be seen as a global peacemaker, said that a solution to the Russia-Ukraine war can come only after he and President Putin meet or talk directly.
