Trump, Putin Agree to Begin Ukraine War Negotiations

President Donald Trump announced that he had a 'lengthy and highly productive phone call' with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which they agreed to initiate negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Trump emphasized their shared desire to halt the 'millions of deaths' resulting from the conflict and mentioned that they would involve their respective teams in the talks. He also stated plans to inform Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the discussions. Trump's proposed U.S. negotiating team includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, among others. The announcement follows the recent release of American Marc Fogel from Russian custody, indicating a potential thaw in U.S.-Russia relations. However, concerns from Ukrainian and European officials remain regarding the U.S. negotiating position, particularly the exclusion of military support for Ukraine or NATO membership.