President Donald Trump announced the commencement of negotiations to resolve the Ukraine conflict following a pivotal call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday morning. This marks the first known dialogue between the two leaders since Trump took office last month.
The conversation, which lasted nearly 90 minutes, follows the release of an American citizen imprisoned in Russia. Officials from the Trump administration expressed optimism that this exchange could signal a renewed effort to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, which is now nearing its fourth year.
In a readout of the call shared on Truth Social, Trump stated, “We discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects.” The Kremlin also confirmed the extensive discussion between the two presidents.
Trump has consistently indicated his desire to engage with Putin to address the Ukraine conflict. The conversation concluded with both leaders agreeing to work closely together, including potential visits to each other’s nations.
As part of the agreement, Trump mentioned that their respective teams would begin negotiations immediately. He also planned to contact President Zelenskyy of Ukraine to inform him of the recent discussions with Putin.
In contrast to Trump's proactive approach, his predecessor, President Joe Biden, had not communicated with the Russian leader for nearly three years. The last U.S. president to visit Russia was Barack Obama, who attended a G20 summit in 2013.
Steve Witkoff, a key negotiator for Trump on the Ukraine conflict, highlighted the release of American Marc Fogel as a positive indication of the potential for resolving the war. Witkoff suggested that this could reflect the promising working relationship between Trump and Putin, which could have significant implications for global peace and stability.
“I think that’s maybe a sign about how that working relationship between President Trump and President Putin will be in the future, and what that may portend for the world at large, for conflict and so forth. I think they had a great friendship, and I think now it’s going to continue, and it’s a really good thing for the world,” he stated.
CNN’s Anna Chernova and Christian Edwards contributed to this report.
