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After phone call with Putin, Trump confirms Ukraine-Russia peace talks will begin

The president and his Russian counterpart spoke for two hours. The conversation was described as "very meaningful and very frank" by the Kremlin.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin

Donald Trump and Vladimir PutinAFP.

President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation Monday about the status of negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine.

At the end of the call, Putin noted that the conversation, which lasted more than two hour, was "useful" as well as "very meaningful and very frank," per AFP.

For his part, Trump shared his feelings through Truth Social. In a post, the president noted that the meeting with Putin went “very well,” while stating that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately” begin negotiations to reach permanent peace.

"I believe it went very well. Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War. The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of. The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent," Trump said.

In addition, the President informed that he conveyed to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and other interested leaders that peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow will start now.

"Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin immediately. I have so informed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, President Emmanuel Macron, of France, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, of Italy, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, of Germany, and President Alexander Stubb, of Finland, during a call with me, immediately after the call with President Putin," Trump told.

Hours before it was confirmed that Putin and Trump would hold a telephone meeting, the Kremlin made some statements in which it assured that it prefers diplomacy and negotiation to put an end to the war in Ukraine.

"It is preferable for Russia to achieve the goals of its special military operation by diplomatic methods," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov assured state media.

Trump already reported on Saturday that he would speak on the phone with his Russian counterpart to put an end to the "bloodbath" in Ukraine.

Hours before the call, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt assured that the goal of the phone call was to "see this conflict in the region end," and that Trump was "tired and frustrated" with both sides.

Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul

The announcement followed the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in more than three years of conflict.

The meeting, which took place on Friday in the Turkish city of Istanbul, evidenced deep differences in the positions of the two sides and failed to bring about a ceasefire.

Russia "highly values" Washington's efforts to end the fighting, added Peskov, who said the call between Putin and Trump was "important."

Since his return to the White House in January, Trump has called on both Moscow and Kyiv to stop the fighting.

But his efforts so far failed to achieve any breakthrough in ending the conflict, triggered by Russia's February 2022 offensive in Ukraine.

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