Trump announces immediate negotiations to end Ukraine war
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump today announced that negotiations to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine will start "immediately." The decision came after Trump's 90-minute phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, their first known interaction since the former's inauguration last month. The two leaders touched upon a range of topics including Ukraine, the Middle East, energy and artificial intelligence.
Diplomatic cooperation
Trump and Putin agree to work closely on Ukraine issue
After their conversation, Trump went to Truth Social to reveal that he and Putin had agreed to work closely together. This may involve potential visits to each other's countries. "We agreed...including visiting each other's Nations (sic)," Trump wrote. He added that their respective teams would begin negotiations immediately and plans were in place to inform Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of their talks.
Positive indicators
Recent events signal potential progress in conflict resolution
The Trump administration sees the recent release of American Marc Fogel from Russian imprisonment as a good sign for future negotiations. One of Trump's top negotiators, Steve Witkoff, pointed to this release as a sign of how the conflict could be resolved. "I think that's maybe a sign about how that working relationship between President Trump and President Putin will be in the future," he said.
Ceasefire terms
Trump's strategy and Putin's conditions for ceasefire
While Trump hasn't publicly detailed his plan to end the war, he has said that he wants to meet President Zelenskyy soon. Notably, preparations for a possible Trump-Putin meeting are reportedly in advanced stages. Putin's ceasefire conditions include Ukraine dropping its NATO ambitions and withdrawing from territories claimed by Russia.