Russia, Ukraine Plans Negotiations After Trump-Putin Call

Following a two-hour call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine would begin immediate negotiations toward a ceasefire and an end to the war. Trump described the call as very constructive and highlighted that the terms of such negotiations would be decided solely by Russia and Ukraine, with no external parties privy to the details. He also mentioned that Pope Leo XIV had expressed interest in hosting the peace talks at the Vatican. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed ongoing direct contacts and the exchange of draft peace treaty documents between Moscow and Kyiv, though he acknowledged challenges remain in finalizing a memorandum with no set deadline. Russian state media quoted Putin as describing the call as informative and useful, affirming readiness to work on a peace memorandum. Despite these developments, Ukrainian President Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s openness to negotiations and an unconditional ceasefire, though no concrete progress was reported yet.