WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone Wednesday for 90 minutes, saying the Russian leader wants peace and for the war with Ukraine to end.
“As we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump wrote on Truth Social following their first known call of his second term.
“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations,” he added. “We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately.”
Trump said he asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead negotiations with Russia.
Putin adviser Dmitry Peskov said the phone conversation lasted about 90 minutes.
“The topic of the Middle East settlement, the Iranian nuclear program, and bilateral Russian-American relations in the economic area were talked about during the conversation,” he said in a statement.
Putin invited Trump to visit Moscow, Peskov said, “and expressed readiness to receive American officials in Russia regarding areas of mutual interest, including, of course, the topic of Ukrainian settlement. Putin and Trump also agreed to continue personal contacts, including setting up a personal meeting.”
Trump said he would first meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia and invited Putin to visit the White House.
Trump later confirmed that he had spoken to Zelenskyy, saying in another post on Truth Social that the discussion “went very well”.
“I am hopeful that the results of that meeting will be positive. 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!” he wrote.
Earlier Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a visit to NATO’s headquarters in Brussels that it’s “unrealistic” for Ukraine to return to its borders before Russia invaded its Crimea region in 2014. He also signaled that the United States wouldn’t support Ukraine’s joining NATO.
