Donald Trump announces Ukraine peace talks after call with Russian President Vladimir Putin

US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he had a "lengthy and highly productive" phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, the two leaders discussed a range of topics, including the war in Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, artificial intelligence, and the global financial system.

Trump, Putin push for peace negotiations

Trump stated that both he and Putin agreed on the need to halt the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing that "millions of deaths" must be prevented. He claimed that had he been president, the war would not have started in the first place.

“We want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine," Trump wrote, adding that Putin supported his campaign slogan of "COMMON SENSE."

Planned talks with Zelenskyy

As part of the effort to negotiate peace, Trump said he would be reaching out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to inform him of the discussion. He also announced that a US delegation, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Ambassador Steve Witkoff, would spearhead negotiations.

Praise for Putin and plans for bilateral visits

Trump praised Putin for engaging in discussions and revealed that both leaders agreed to visit each other’s nations in the future. He also expressed gratitude to the Russian president for facilitating the release of Marc Fogel, an American detained in Russia.

Trump ended his statement with optimism, saying, “I believe this effort will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon.”

Kremlin's silence on Trump's earlier call

On February 9, Trump said that he talked to Putin on the phone to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine. However, the Kremlin declined to confirm or deny about the phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to The New York Post , Donald Trump had told the publication he spoke with Putin about ending the conflict in Ukraine, and that Putin expressed a desire to see “people stop dying.”