Kremlin: Putin and Trump Discuss Ukraine Settlement in Lengthy Phone Call

By Staff, Agencies

The Kremlin has released details of a phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, during which the two leaders discussed prospects for a political settlement to the Ukraine conflict ahead of Trump’s planned meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

According to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov, Trump initiated the call on Sunday. The discussion lasted around one hour and 15 minutes and was described as friendly, constructive, and businesslike. Ushakov said both leaders expressed interest in achieving a durable peace in Ukraine, with Putin emphasizing the importance of building on understandings reached during their earlier summit in Anchorage.

The two presidents agreed that a temporary ceasefire, as proposed by Ukraine and several European states, would risk prolonging the conflict and could lead to renewed fighting. Moscow has consistently argued that such pauses would allow Ukrainian forces to regroup and rearm.

Putin accepted a proposal from Trump to continue diplomatic efforts through the creation of two bilateral working groups focused on security and economic issues. The leaders also agreed to hold further talks after Trump’s upcoming meeting with Zelensky in Florida.

Trump earlier described the conversation as “very productive” in a post on his Truth Social platform. Meanwhile, Zelensky said in an interview with Axios that he hopes to reach agreement on a peace framework during talks with Trump, reportedly centered on a ceasefire as a precondition for a final settlement.

Earlier this week, Zelensky unveiled a new 20-point peace plan, which he said had been discussed with US officials. Moscow rejected the proposal, calling it fundamentally different from the framework it has been discussing with Washington.

On Saturday, Putin told senior military commanders that some Western figures were offering Ukraine what he described as “decent” peace terms, including security guarantees, economic recovery measures, and steps toward restoring relations with Russia. He warned that if Kiev continues to avoid a negotiated settlement, Russia would pursue its objectives through military means.