President Donald Trump announced that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will begin “immediately” following a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday morning. The call marked the first known direct conversation between the two leaders since Trump took office last month.
Trump, who has made ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict a top priority of his administration, described the discussion as “highly productive.” In a post on Truth Social, he said that he and Putin had agreed to work closely together, including potential future visits to each other’s countries.
“We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy of Ukraine to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now,” Trump wrote.
He further announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would lead the U.S. delegation in negotiations.
While details of a potential peace plan remain unclear, Trump suggested that Ukraine may have to make significant territorial compromises.
The Kremlin confirmed the call in a statement, reporting that Putin invited Trump to Moscow and expressed support for a diplomatic settlement. The Russian readout indicated that discussions focused on Ukraine, the Middle East, energy policies, artificial intelligence, and global economic stability.
Shortly after speaking with Putin, Trump held a separate call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, describing the conversation as “very positive.” In his post, Trump stated that Zelenskyy also wanted peace, and that discussions would continue at a planned diplomatic meeting in Munich on Friday.
The U.S. delegation to that meeting will be led by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“It is time to stop this ridiculous war, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, death and destruction. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!” Trump wrote.
