Russia, Ukraine Expected to Start Ceasefire Talks Following Trump-Putin Call

Following a two-hour phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine would "immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the war," with terms to be determined directly by Moscow and Kyiv. Putin described the call as "informative and quite frank," expressing readiness to collaborate with Ukraine on a peace memorandum and emphasizing the need to address the root causes of the crisis. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the renewed peace efforts and proposed a high-level meeting involving the U.S., EU, Britain, Russia, and Ukraine to find a resolution, while urging reciprocal commitment from Russia. Trump highlighted the potential for future large-scale trade between the U.S. and Russia post-conflict and mentioned the Vatican's offer to host peace talks. However, some sources noted that no immediate ceasefire was secured following the call, reflecting ongoing challenges despite the hopeful rhetoric. The developments represent a cautious but significant step toward resuming direct negotiations after years of stalled talks.