Trump says Putin agrees to begin talks to finish conflict in Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has stated he had a “prolonged and extremely productive” cellphone name with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday wherein the leaders agreed to start negotiations to finish the conflict in Ukraine.

In a publish on his Reality Social platform, Trump stated he and the Russian president had “agreed to have our respective groups begin negotiations instantly” and invited one another to go to their respective capitals.

Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated he had additionally spoken with Trump a few “lasting, dependable peace”.

The calls with each warring sides got here as each Trump and his defence secretary stated it was unlikely Ukraine would be part of Nato, which can come as a bitter disappointment to Kyiv.

Zelensky stated he would meet Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio throughout a defence summit on Ukraine which is going down in Munich on Friday.

Trump wrote on social media: “It’s time to cease this ridiculous Struggle, the place there was huge, and completely pointless, DEATH and DESTRUCTION. God bless the individuals of Russia and Ukraine!”

He didn’t set a date for a face-to-face assembly with Putin, however later advised reporters on the White Home: “We’ll meet in Saudi Arabia.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Putin supported Trump’s concept that the time had come to work collectively.

The cellphone name between Putin and Trump lasted almost an hour and a half, throughout which the Russian president prolonged an invite to go to Moscow, Peskov stated.

Trump additionally advised reporters on the White Home that it was unlikely Ukraine would return to its pre-2014 borders, however in response to a query from the BBC stated “a few of that land will come again”.

The president stated he agreed together with his defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, who advised a Nato summit earlier on Thursday that there was no probability of Ukraine becoming a member of the navy alliance.

“I feel that is in all probability true,” Trump stated.

Hegseth’s speech can have been a physique blow for Kyiv.

Whereas it has lengthy been recognized the information US administration was much less sympathetic than its predecessor to Ukraine, Hegseth’s each utterance can have doubtless solely happy Moscow.

There was denial of Nato membership, a view that Ukraine can not win and ambiguity over how a frozen entrance line could be policed sooner or later – all of which added as much as a tangible return for Russia’s 11 years of aggression in direction of Ukraine.

Zelensky has repeatedly argued there “could be no talks on Ukraine with out Ukraine” – however the Trump-Putin cellphone name occurred in his absence.

Zelensky stated his name with Trump had been a “significant dialog” about a wide range of points, and that he had additionally met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who’s visiting Kyiv.

“Nobody desires peace greater than Ukraine. Along with the US, we’re charting our subsequent steps to cease Russian aggression and guarantee a long-lasting, dependable peace,” Zelensky wrote. “

The Ukrainian chief added: “We agreed to take care of additional contact and plan upcoming conferences.”

The decision between the US and Ukrainian leaders lasted an hour, in keeping with AFP information company.

In an interview with The Guardian revealed Tuesday, Zelensky prompt that Russian-held territory in Ukraine could possibly be swapped for Ukrainian-held territory in Russia’s Kursk area as a part of a peace deal.

He additionally insisted that the US, and never simply European international locations, would have to be a part of any safety package deal for his nation.

“Safety ensures with out America will not be actual safety ensures,” he stated.

Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 after which backed pro-Russian separatists in an armed insurgency towards Kyiv’s forces in japanese Ukraine.

After years of clashes and tensions between the 2 international locations, the battle burst into all-out conflict when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow’s makes an attempt to take management of the capital had been thwarted, however Russian forces have taken round one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory within the east and south, and have carried out air strikes throughout the nation.

Ukraine has retaliated with drone strikes and an offensive into Russia’s Kursk area.

Correct casualty counts are exhausting to return by attributable to secrecy by each the Russian and Ukrainian governments, nevertheless it’s estimated that tons of of 1000’s of troops and civilians have been killed or injured.