Trump: Putin Has Agreed to Talks on Ending War

President Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a phone call Wednesday to begin "negotiations" on ending the Ukraine war and would "work together, very closely" toward winding down the conflict. "We each talked about the strengths of our respective Nations, and the great benefit that we will someday have in working together," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine. President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, 'COMMON SENSE,'" Trump wrote.

Trump said the leaders "agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately" and would be alerting Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky about their conversation. White House officials declined to clarify whether Ukraine would be a party to the US negotiations with Russia, the AP reports. Trump said he thanked Putin for the release of American teacher Marc Fogel during the "lengthy and highly productive" phone call.

Other topics they discussed, Trump said, included "the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects." Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said the call lasted around an hour and a half, the New York Times reports. He said Putin agreed with Trump that "the time has come for our countries to work together" and invited Trump to visit Moscow. (Earlier Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Ukraine returning to its 2014 borders is an "illusionary goal.")