President Donald Trump has declared that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” following a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump described the conversation as having an “excellent tone and spirit,” noting that both nations will handle the negotiations directly: “because they know details… that nobody else would be aware of.”
Trump emphasized that the war’s end would unlock massive trade opportunities for both Russia and Ukraine. “There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth… Its potential is UNLIMITED,” he wrote. He also expressed optimism for Ukraine’s economic revival, calling it a “great beneficiary on Trade.”
The announcement follows months of stalled peace efforts and comes on the heels of failed ceasefire talks in Istanbul last week, which Putin declined to attend.
Trump revealed that he briefed several global leaders on the call, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, and Finland’s Alexander Stubb.
He added that Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican have expressed interest in hosting the forthcoming peace negotiations.
This marks the third confirmed call between Trump and Putin since Trump’s January inauguration, signaling a potentially major diplomatic shift in the three-year-long conflict.
Trump has made no secret of his impatience with the ongoing war, recently expressing frustration that neither side seemed willing to compromise. “I believe I alone can advance the stalling peace talks,” he said last week.
Now, all eyes turn to Kyiv and Moscow as the world waits to see whether this bold initiative will mark the beginning of the end—or just another chapter—in Europe’s deadliest war since WWII.
