President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, shortly after he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House to discuss the next phase of the Ukraine peace process.
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Trump Initiates Plans for Putin-Zelenskyy Meeting, Proposes Future Trilateral Talks
Trump confirmed in a Truth Social post that evening that he called Putin after the meetings to begin planning a possible sit-down between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents. The move mirrored his earlier action when he called Zelenskyy following last week’s Alaska summit with Putin.
“At the end of the talks, I called President Putin and began arranging a meeting, at a yet-to-be-determined location, between him and President Zelenskyy,” Trump said, directly confirming media reports about the call. He further stated that once the two leaders hold their meeting, he will join them for a trilateral session involving the United States.
Putin Agrees to Meet Zelenskyy After Constructive Call With Trump
“Once that meeting happens, we will hold a trilateral — both presidents and myself,” Trump emphasized. “This marks a very positive early step toward ending a war that has continued for nearly four years.”
CNN reported that Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said Trump and Putin spoke for about 40 minutes and held a “candid and very constructive” discussion. Ushakov added that Putin expressed support for direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Trump called Putin in between his meetings with European leaders at the White House. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed that during the call with Trump, Putin agreed to meet Zelenskyy in two weeks.